Jim Martin's Encouragement Note
Jim Martin's Encouragement Note
Jim Martin's Encouragement Note #61
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Jim Martin's Encouragement Note #61

Know why you are here . . . The "Hand of the Lord" and our longing for a secure life . . . Learn to "trust God - period."
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The List of Five

This is why we are here

I once served as the minister for a small church in Carbon, Texas about an hour from Abilene. This was a farming community, composed of acres and acres of peanuts. Each Sunday, Charlotte and I would drive an hour to this church, stay all day, and then drive back to the Abilene area that evening.

At the time, I was in seminary at Abilene Christian University and was taking a class under Dr. Paul Faulkner (picture below). This was a counseling class and I really looked forward to each class meeting. Dr. Faulkner had been a minister and now was a professor and a marriage and family therapist. He loved ministers and loved the church.

One day, I approached him after class with a problem. A young couple at church had asked me to preach a graveside service for their baby who had died. However, in doing so, I would miss a scheduled test. As I told him about the situation, his eyes become teary. He said, "This is why we are here. You can take the test another day."

I never forgot that moment.

“This is why we are here.”

Maybe this is something you and I need to remember as we consider how we treat our spouse, our children, and our friends.

“This is why we are here.”

How do we speak to one another when we are at home with a spouse and/or with our children? Do our words and tone convey that we value one another? Maybe we need to remember why we are here.

How do we treat one another within our congregations? Are we loving and gracious? Do we give one another the benefit of the doubt? Maybe we need to remember why we are here.

How do we behave when no one is looking? Are we more concerned about our character or the image we would like to project? Do we live holy lives? Do we live a life worth imitating? Maybe we need to remember why we are here.

I remember that moment with Dr. Faulkner. He provided clarity for me. Decades later, I have not forgotten his words.

“This is why we are here.”

Perhaps one of the best things we can do as we begin a new week is to make sure our behavior is an accurate reflection of our purpose. I want to remember why we are here.

Paul Faulkner, Abilene Christian University Bible professor and minister,  dies at 92 - The Christian Chronicle

The “Hand of the Lord” can give you stability

You are walking into a room and stumble. Perhaps you have been walking on a tile floor and the room you have just entered is carpeted. Your foot catches on the carpet and you stumble in front of everyone. For a moment you feel silly.

Sometimes when we stumble in life, we might feel silly, frustrated, or even discouraged. For example:

  • A young mother feels overcommitted and yet doesn’t know how to change the pace of her life.

  • A person in his late 70s feels as if he no longer has a place. As someone said to me, “I’m not sure others even want to hear what I am thinking.”

  • The exhausted minister is not sure he has the stamina, energy, or desire to continue serving the congregation in that particular role.

  • A woman has put so much effort into her marriage. Yet, her effort seems to be met with apathy by her husband. Feeling defeated, she says, “What’s the use?”

Do any of these sound familiar to you?

I love these words from Ezra 7:27-28:

Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

The Lord’s presence can give you and me the courage to move forward. Courage is not about finally mustering up the gumption to move ahead. Rather, it is about recognizing that God is with you as you take the next right step in your life. His hand is on you as you do what is right in your marriage, with your children, in your work, and in your congregation.

Navigating life is not totally dependent on you. His hand is on you and will steady you. He will enable you.

Finally, a prayer for anyone who might be discouraged:

O God, almighty and merciful, you heal the broken-hearted, and turn the sadness of the sorrowful to joy, Let your fatherly goodness be upon all whom you have made. Remember in pity all those who are this day destitute, homeless, elderly, infirm, or forgotten. Bless the multitude of your poor. Lift up those who are cast down. Mightily befriend innocent sufferers, and sanctify to them the endurance of their wrongs. Cheer with hope all who are discouraged and downcast, and by your heavenly grace persevere from falling those whose poverty tempts them to sin. Though they be troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they are perplexed, save them from despair. Grant this, O Lord, for the love of him who for our sakes became poor, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, pp. 663-664)

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Trust God - (period)

A number of you mentioned to me how much you appreciated the Ernie Johnson video in Encouragement Note #60. (Ernie Johnson is the long-time host of “Inside the NBA”) I want to include one more video. These nine minutes of self-reflection are inspiring. You may find this helpful as you reflection on the condition and direction of you own life.


Street Smarts (Especially for ministers or church leaders) - Part 1 of 2

  1. Are you serving a congregation as a minister or a leader in some way? Know that you are dear to Jesus. Even if no one else acknowledges the worth and value of your ministry, Jesus does. You and your ministry matter.

  2. A minister may have a sterling theological education and exceptional ministry gifts. This person may be networked, knowing many people perceived to be important. However, there is nothing more important than staying needy before the Lord, recognizing our absolute dependance on Him.

  3. As a minister, in a very hard church situation, I asked - “How do I keep doing this?” The good news: “God will provide.” His powerful indwelling presence will enable and empower you to serve through hard times. And — if you serve a church long enough, you will know hard times.

  4. Preaching doesn’t have to be loud, demonstrative, or theatrical. However, there must be something that demonstrates that in some way you have a fire in your belly. In some way, you are preaching as if this is critical for others to hear. No cavalier attitude but passion!

  5. Some of the calmest people I know are under great pressure. Yes, ministry can be hard. However, these people tend to have a deep reliance on God. They also are able to navigate in anxious, troubled waters without taking on the anxiety of others. They manage themselves.

If this particular encouragement note is helpful to you in a specific way, I would love to hear from you - jmartin9669@gmail.com.


Reading and Listening Resources

  1. If You Are Looking For Valuable Lessons On Life, Read Biographies” by Thomas Oppong, Medium, June 29, 2022. Very good.

  2. I am presently reading STUCK: Why Clergy Are Alienated from Their Calling, Congregation, and Career…and What to Do about It by sociologists Todd W. Ferguson and Josh Packard. An insightful book.

  3. After COVID: Unhappiness Is Worse Among Single and Non-Religious Americans” from the Institute for Family Studies, June 29, 2022. (Thanks to Kelly Roberts for this reference.)


Each Thursday/Friday, I post about ten tweets especially for ministers and other believers as they anticipate Sunday. You can find me @jimmartin.

I serve as Vice President of Harding School of Theology, Memphis, Tennessee. Every other Monday morning, I publish this “Encouragement Note.” You can subscribe at jimmartin.substack.com. You can also find me on Facebook - @jim.martin or Instagram - @jimmartin.jm. My e-mail address is: jmartin9669@gmail.com. Feel free to write. I would love to hear what is encouraging or helpful. — Jim Martin

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