Inspiring Others

Read: 1 Timothy 4:8-12

Abby was happy with herself for coming up with a good morning routine. Each morning before she went down for breakfast, she picked up her Bible from her nightstand and read a bit from it, and then she prayed. It felt good to connect with God before she even talked to anyone in her family.

Abby knew her aunt had been doing something like that for a long time, and she was the one who had inspired her. She felt a bit silly telling her about it, but when she saw her aunt one afternoon, she did just that.

“Wow! I’m so proud of you.” Aunt Hannah hugged her.

Abby blushed. “You inspired me. I know you read your Bible and talk to God every day.”

Aunt Hannah’s brows lowered as she took a seat on the porch step. “Actually, I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve been forgetting to do that.”

Abby’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Aunt Hannah nodded. “It’s too easy to become distracted by other things. But I want to get back into good habits and a good routine.” She smiled at Abby. “Thank you for telling me what you’ve been up to. Now you’ve inspired me!”

“I have?” Abby hadn’t expected that. She had just wanted her aunt to know how she had encouraged her.

Aunt Hannah got up and hugged her. “We all need to do that for each other sometimes. As Christians, we’re all part of God’s family, and the Holy Spirit uses the truth of God’s Word to work in our hearts and make us more like Jesus. That means we need to remind each other what Jesus did to save us and how He wants us to live. We need to encourage one another and set an example for others.”

“Even a kid like me?” Abby asked.

Aunt Hannah laughed. “Yes. The Bible says not to let anyone think less of you because you are young. You can do so much to inspire others, just like you did for me today.”

Abby had never thought of that before. She knew she wanted to read her Bible and pray each day to grow in her relationship with Jesus, but maybe she could do more to encourage others in their relationship with Him too.

–Bethany Acker

How about you? Has someone inspired you to make changes in your life that will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus? Maybe you’ve seen how their spiritual habits have helped them and you want to follow their example. God uses the encouragement and example of other Christians to work in our hearts, and He wants you to be an example for others, no matter how young you are. How can you encourage others in their walk with Jesus?

Today’s key verse: Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: You can inspire others