Some Thoughts on Encouragement

My Dad is an incredibly encouraging man, and as long as I can remember, has always been an active encourager of other people. I have strong memories as a child, of seeing my Dad model what it means to be an active encourager. I remember him calling people to simply thank them for something they had done, or to encourage them in something that they were doing. Whether it was our Pastor for his preaching, the lady who tended the garden at our church, friends who have done something helpful and countless others! I remember watching people’s faces, when Dad encouraged them in-person; the way they would smile with a mix of gratitude and self-consciousness.

The Bible speaks about the importance of encouragement and in Hebrews 3:13, we are urged to “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

God instructed his people to encourage each other because He knows that we need it. When encouragement is absent, people feel unloved, unimportant, and forgotten. The gift of encouragement is so important in our lives. God knows that His people are in need of grace-filled reminders, so He calls us to encourage each other every day. It is a gift that we have, ready to use wherever we find ourselves. We can come alongside others and be there for one another. We can listen, comfort, console, affirm. It’s a way of living out the command to love one another. The scripture is full of encouraging words that we can use, not only to encourage our own faith, but to offer it to others and encourage them in their faith too.

I have been challenged recently, to be more deliberate in finding ways and opportunities to encourage other people. I read a devotion that suggested setting up a daily reminder to pause and send someone an encouraging text. I love the posture of taking 60 seconds of time to bless someone else with an encouraging word!

So here is the challenge… Start now! Take a minute to think of a person who you can encourage and take this moment send them a text or an email. Don’t wait until later. Do it right now and encourage someone in your world. You just don’t know who might need to hear a loving encouragement today!

Marni Greenwood
Head of Junior School, Brooklyn Park