Years ago, a group of young men at the University of Wisconsin, who seemed destined for literary greatness, used to meet to critique each other’s work. They were so merciless in their criticism that they decided to call themselves ‘the Stranglers’. Not to be outdone, some talented women in the university started a club of their own. But their criticism was always positive and designed to encourage, not ridicule. That’s why they called themselves ‘the Wranglers’. Twenty years later not one of the Stranglers had made an impact on the literary world, whereas nearly ten of the Wranglers had become successful writers, including Marjorie Rawlings, who wrote The Yearling. It reminds us that it’s encouragement, not ridicule that brings out the best in people; and that’s why the Bible calls encouragement a gift of the Spirit of God