You Need a CEO
Every person on the planet needs a CEO.
The Apostle Paul had one. King David had one. And if you don’t have one, you need to get one.
I’m talking about a Chief Encouragement Officer. For Paul, it was Barnabas. For David, it was Jonathan. And for you, it might be a close friend, your spouse, or a buddy in your small group.
I’m not talking about someone who tells you what you want to hear. I’m not talking about a soothsayer who tells you that you’re a special snowflake and your burps smell like cinnamon and puppies.
To have an encourager means that someone is speaking courage into your life. They see your blind spots, they know your ego, and they understand your weaknesses. But they also see the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the unique way you’ve been wired by God, and they know just what to say to draw that out of you.
A CEO speaks truth, not fluff. A CEO can look you in the eye and tell you where they see God working in you. A CEO preaches the gospel to you on days when you’ve forgotten how.
I’m thankful for the CEOs in my life. There are weeks when I’m not sure how to put one foot in front of the other, but thanks to those people who speak courage to me, my eyes go back to scripture and my heart attunes back to Jesus.
So who’s your CEO? Better yet, whose CEO are you?
Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. (1 Samuel 18:3)
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. (Acts 9:26-28
I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. (Ephesians 6:22)
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Thanks, Danny, I’m enjoying “connective tissue” very much and today’s post was a great reminder to be the “encourager” to others. I try to most of the time but I need to be on the lookout for those in the most need 🙂 Kathie Sifers
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What a great and necessary reminder for all of us. My daily prayer is that God will enable me to be an encourager and not a discourager. Sometimes it only takes a word or two that determine the direction you take. I love blogs like this that point us to the need to follow in our Savior’s footsteps. May we all be more like Him as we look to His sweet presence in our lives for His enabling. You also could call this kind of CEO Chief Encourager Offerer.:-)
Brenda Pergerson
That’s a good word, Brenda!