Under Gods Command
1 Timothy 4:12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Apparently Timothy needed some encouragement. Most likely, so do many people around you. Each day we have many opportunities to support and inspire family members, fellow workers, and even total strangers. People need help and affirmation all along the way. Paul modeled six important principles to help us encourage others:
(1) Begin with encouragement. People who know we will encourage them will be happy to work with us.
(2) Expect of others only what you expect of yourself. People will resist being held to unfair standards.
(3) Develop expectations of others with consideration for their skills, maturity, and experience. People will reject or fail to meet expectations that do not fit them. Be patient with distracted or slow learners.
(4) Monitor your expectations of others. Changing circumstances sometimes require revised or reduced expectations.
(5) Clarify your expectations with others. People are not likely to hit a target that no one has identified.
(6) End with encouragement. People love to be thanked for a job well done.
Lets Bring it Home: Do we do more encouraging or discouraging in a day, week or month? Lets flip the scrip and be more encouraging towards others.
Under Gods command 