Have you ever woken up with a song in your heart—a melody that carries you through the day? This morning was one of those moments for me. I woke up singing the chorus of This is How I Thank the Lord by Mosaic MSC (link to song at the end of this post). Moved by the lyrics, I played the song as part of my quiet time worship. And as I listened, I found myself deeply convicted: “So this is how I thank the Lord for saving me When I was weak, so I will sing This is how I thank the Lord for everything This is how I thank the Lord” The vocalist was showing her gratitude by using her gift—the very talent God gave her—to glorify Him. It made me pause and ask myself: Am I thanking the Lord by fully using the gifts He’s given me to glorify Him? One of the gifts God has given me is the ability to encourage others. I’ve written before about God’s motivational gifts, including the gift of encouragement. Romans 12 reminds us, “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging” (Romans 12:8 NLT). Encouragement is about more than offering

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:18 (NLT) When someone is training for a job—any job—they can’t stay in the classroom forever. There comes a point when they have to move from learning to doing. What good is knowledge if it’s never put into practice? The apostle Paul understood this, which is why—even from a Roman prison—he encouraged the believers in Philippi to act on what they’d learned. He wrote: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”Philippians 4:9 (NIV) Paul had spent time teaching, training, and loving the people in Philippi. Now, he was urging them to take what they’d learned and live it out. Faith wasn’t meant to stay confined to their minds or words; it needed to show up in their lives. Jesus emphasized this same principle. He wasn’t interested in His followers simply appearing righteous or sounding holy—He wanted their lives to reflect genuine goodness and love for God. James, the half-brother of Jesus, put it this way: “But be doers of the