Rick Warren's Daily DevotionalSample

Jesus Challenged People

I want to encourage you to become a people-builder. It is a gift you can give someone that will last forever.

The key to building up people is kindness -- giving them what they need and not what they deserve. Jesus did three things to build up people; he challenged, encouraged, and spoke honestly. He challenged people to be all God made them to be. God doesn't want you to waste your life!

Challenge your family and friends to live beyond themselves and to discover their strengths and abilities. God has given each of us some special abilities, and he wants us to use them to help each other. We're to pass on to others God's many kinds of blessings.

We all need somebody who will help us discover our gifts and who will challenge us to develop, strengthen, and use them. You can play a critical role in this way by helping the ones you love to discover their strengths and abilities, and then challenging them to use them.

And, help them understand how special their gifts are - that we will all miss out on a blessing if they don't use the gifts God has given them. It's like a singer who never sings; we miss out on the blessing that would come from hearing the voice. We are meant to be a blessing to others.