An Encouraging Promise

Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”

John 13:36

An observer asked a foreman overseeing a demolition crew if he had to hire highly skilled men to tear the building down. “Not really,” the foreman replied. “I just need strong men—men who can tear down in a matter of days something that took years to build.” It never takes as long to destroy something as it took to put it together.

Jesus Christ spent three years building up a group of twelve disciples. They had high hopes and expectations that He would bring in the kingdom and rule of God to restore Israel to her former glory. While they grew steadily in their understanding of who Jesus was, it was harder for them to understand fully that He had to suffer and leave them before God’s kingdom would be established on earth. Had Jesus not prepared the disciples for His going away, He could easily have crushed their spirits and undone all He had built into their lives. He chose to encourage them before the fact, not just after.

If you know someone who is about to face a potential disappointment or challenge, build him or her up beforehand with a preparatory word of encouragement. Encouragement in anticipation of disappointment may keep the latter from ever happening.