Many years ago, a musician named Steve Green made an album (actually a cassette tape – I am giving away my age here!) that was all songs for kids. He took Bible verses and put them to catchy tunes, and I found myself quickly singing along and putting to memory the verses and truths that were being sung. One that I still think about was based on 1 Thessalonians 5:11 which tells us to “Encourage one another and build each other up”. The call in Thessalonians is for all believers. We are called to be encouragers.

There are endless ways to encourage others, from the extravagant and complex to the small and simple. But no one is exempt from exhortation. For some, being encouraging comes naturally, it seems to just flow out from their soul. For others, it is more of a task to be conquered and requires a lot of forethought.

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that what I may have to offer, in words or action, is too small to make any difference. I have learned that the “size” of the encouragement is not equal to the impact that the encouragement can have. Meaning that someone who writes me uplifting words on a Post-it note can be just as encouraging as someone who takes me out to a nice dinner. The important part isn’t the “size” of the encouragement, but that it happened at all. There is no such thing as too small of an encouragement. I love looking for small ways to encourage those around me; there are so many ways to demonstrate it:

• Dropping off a drink at someone’s work with a short message attached




• Sending a text when someone comes to my mind to let them know I was thinking of them




• Buying a snack I think someone will like and leaving it where they will find it




• Passing on a song I hear that I think will uplift another




• Sharing a book I read with someone who I think would enjoy it as I did




• Asking someone for a coffee meetup and then covering the bill




• Caring for someone’s kids for an afternoon, so they can have some quiet time

There are endless ways for us all to easily and quickly be an encourager to others. Be creative, have fun, and ask God to give you ideas of how you can be an encouragement. Let’s embrace the call to be people who are known to “encourage one another and build each other up!”