Encourage: to give courage, hope, or confidence to someone, to provide support or help when needed.
Have you noticed how the constant barrage from social media reinforces feelings of fear, inadequacy, and insecurity? For some, even the volume or tone of well-meaning news anchors only adds another layer of tension and anxiety. Stop and think about how this discourages your loved ones. Not good, right?
The early church struggled with discouragement and deceitfulness, much like today. Hebrews 3:13 speaks of this when he wrote: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
That’s why your intentional, heartfelt words of encouragement can be a source of strength to your family, especially in times of uncertainty. Encouraging words of assurance, admiration, appreciation, or affection that speak to what’s “right” about them. Your encouraging thoughtful words remind them of their uniqueness and your unconditional love.
Your encouraging words, consistently and genuinely spoken, initiate a profound response in the heart of your loved ones. Kind of like, a yard sale sign stapled to the telephone pole. These signs aren’t fancy illuminated billboards urging us to buy something we don’t need. It’s a small cardboard and magic marker sign, seemingly unnoticeable. Yet I would bet that more people look for and respond to these little homemade signs each weekend than giant billboards that line our highways, just like your warm words of encouragement.
Be mindful that your consistent affirming words of encouragement make them smile when they think of you, family, and home.
“A word of encouragement during a failure is more potent than a word of praise after achievement.”
If today’s blog was encouraging to you, take sure you sign up to receive blogs every week. TransformingFamilies.org was created to enable you to discover and develop authentic, healthy intimacy in all your relationships.
FYI: I also provide one-on-one coaching, if you would like to improve your relationships, or you want someone to talk to, e-mail me at ‘rturner@transformingfamilies.org’, and we’ll schedule a time to connect. My hope for you is that through these blogs, references, and resources, God will transform you from being bruised or broken to an abundantly blessed child of God.
Very important subject especially at a time like this. We will get through this Chrono bars I believe. I encourage others to call people that they haven’t seen in a while just to say thinking of you how is everything etc. etc. I just found your blog and will surely follow it regularly thank you. We need more men to desire to be better and more godly and also to encourage others
Thank you for your complements and encouraging words as well. We have an opportunity to be “salt and light” during these difficult days, but connecting and encouraging others also needs to be come the new normal. Hopefully we are learning to live and love the way the Body of Christ is suppose to. That is my prayer. Blessings to you and your family.