Haggai 2:19 (NKJV)
19 Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’”
Failure to plant the seed has caused plants not to yield their fruit. In fact, the plants are not even growing. It is that way in life too. If you do not do what you are supposed to, there will be consequences. That is the bad news. But the good news is that you can have another chance. Failure is not final. It is a stepping stone to success. Each failure can teach us a lesson that we could not learn any other way. Or, at least, not as well.
As parents, sometimes we need to let our kids fail at something. I am not saying to let them go completely on their own. Pick certain things which are not fatal and let them try it on their own. If they fail, you can help them try again. You can encourage them. You can ask questions which will lead them to understand why it went the way it did. It can be a teachable moment. They can learn from their mistakes and do better next time. That was how my Dad did it. One of his lines was “you’ll do better next time.” That always taught me that there was hope. I could try again. But mostly, it taught me that failure was not fatal. My Dad still loved me. I was not perfect although, when I was a teenager, I thought I was! How little we know.
Encouragement can make a world of difference. Believing you can do something is the deciding factor in whether it gets done. Having someone else believe in you will propel you to greater heights than you knew possible. I knew my Dad believed in me. He quietly assured me that success was within my reach. It has been suggested that we should be both encourager and encouragee. Who encouraged you? Who are you encouraging?
Haggai goes on to tell us that God is with us. He says of God “….But from this day I will bless you.” God is for you! My earthly father believed in me. Now I know my Heavenly Father believes in me too! He will bless me! And He will bless you! How will you, as someone who knows he or she is blessed, live this day? Will you be bold? Will you be excited and exciting? Will you share the Gift given you with others even in the workplace? The world is hungry for approval. They are hungry for love. They are hungry for hope. You have been blessed with all those and more! And if you have not had those blessings, you can be the one to begin the blessing. Will you share them with those you meet today in Jesus name? Please say yes and Amen!