I was reading some research by American psychologist Robert Rosenthal. At the start of term, a group of teachers were assigned a number of students designated as spurters, that is children who are the most likely to have academic potential. These students had actually been chosen completely at random.When tested at the end of the year, these pupils had increased their IQ more than their classmates. Their teachers described these children as happier, more curious, more affectionate than average and having a better chance of success in later life. It would seem that raising the teachers' expectations had improved the children's abilities.
My strong hunch is that what was true for these students, is true for all of us. When we encourage one another through our words and our attitudes, we empower others. The other person becomes better off through our words.
Jesus tells the story of a farmer sowing seeds. Seeds that fell in bad spots came to nothing, while seed that fell on good soil produced a solid crop. The way in which we speak and act towards others is a lot like this farmer. When we choose to speak unkind words, we are like the farmer who throws seed on rocky ground. When we are unnecessarily harsh, we can burn up others with our words. However, when we speak words of encouragement and act in a way that brings out the positive in others, we are like the farmer whose seed lands in the good soil. That person may come to grow in a way that they had never imagined possible.
But our kind words don't just affect other people. The story of the farmer reminds us that for the farmer to be successful, he needs to get the seed in the right place. There's no good the farmer throwing seed as if it doesn't matter what happens to it. We benefit when we are positive to others. Positive people tend to hang around positive people and come to much; negative people around negative people and come to little.
There is something to be said about the power of positive anticipation. We have all been made by God in such a way that we need people to encourage our potential. No wonder then the bible says in Philippians;