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As a teacher of little kids, it was easy and natural to give my students words of encouragement.
“Wow, that picture is so beautiful!”
“What a great job you did!”
“You are so smart!”
I wanted them to know how well they were doing, and to help spur them on to continue. We all know that little people need encouragement, right?
The truth is that all of us, at any age in life, are in need of encouragement. Every single one of us, not just the little people. It is easy to look around at others and imagine that they have it all together and don’t need an extra kind word. To look at someone who is accomplished and imagine that they have a confidence that supersedes encouraging words. Or to somehow imagine that any word you might share would have little impact on another person.
In truth, everyone needs encouragement.
The Bible talks about how we are to encourage each other:
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…encouraging one another”
Romans 15:2 “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up…”
A word of encouragement is a powerful thing. I can recall kind and uplifting words that others shared with me many years ago. The youth group leader who told me I was “such a special, positive person”. Or the college professor who wrote me a note saying, “the students you will teach will be so blessed by you”. The impact of just a few sentences, left positive reverbs upon my life to this day. Those feelings of being noticed and appreciated are embedded and their impact long felt.
When I consider the positive power that my words can have on another, it inspires me to wield words of encouragement in abundance. We cannot take for granted that people know we appreciate them, care about them, or notice the work they have done. I want to be purposeful to say words out loud, to write them down, to paint them on a canvas, or to speak up clearly.
Knowing that our words of encouragement are a precious gift to others, let’s be abundantly generous givers. Let’s allow our words to build up, spur on and encourage another.
Some people find it easy to encourage others, and some find it difficult. Which camp do you tend to fall into and why do you think that is?
I tend to be an encourager. And I think that is because words of affirmation and encouragement mean so very much to me. I have also not been encouraged at times when I really felt I needed it. And because of this, I am purposeful in looking to encourage others in ways that I know would have meant a lot to me in their situation.