Exercising Encouragement

The New Year has begun and people are starting to settle in to the new decade. Some people have started new things with the New Year, whether that is eliminating or adding to one’s life. Did you try to start something new this year? How are you doing with it?



Whether you were one to start the year off with some sort of exercise or not, I would like to challenge you with this new exercise, the exercise of encouragement. I have never found someone that has been overly encouraged. We are also challenged from a Biblical perspective to encourage.


Encouragement can come in the form of a card, a phone call, person-to-person, a text, an e-mail, a direct message through social media, etc. Friendliness extends to “how are you?” or something like that when we see each other. But, encouragement means that we do something aside from those superficial conversations. Encouragement means going a little deeper. It means that you have to think of something to spur that person on with. Encouragement doesn’t just have to be a compliment, it should be much more. It should cause you to think of what you might say and how to get it across to that person.


Too often we leave the building and forget about most of our church family through the week. We get really busy with our own selves or family that other people tend to get put on the back burner.


So, whether you are a guy or a gal, get on the “treadmill” and exercise the gift of encouragement by being the bright side in someone’s life by offering them some sort of encouragement this week.





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E-mail Encouragement: Give Someone a Compliment!

It is easy for you to give gratitude? Some people find it difficult and others find it easier. Each side could probably come up with various reasons of why. However, it is a shame that the "bad" things are usually brought out more often than the good things. In other words, if you've ever filled out a "comment card", the bad comments will typically get the attention first because that place of business will want to fix those problem areas. Whereas, the positive comments are probably just presumed because that is they way they SHOULD run their business. Compliments and statements of gratitude should be more important than negative comments. If you have a comment of gratitude, tell that person, don't keep it to yourself. Which brings us to this week's quote of encouragement...

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. ~ G.B. Stern

I like to live by this for personal reasons. Too often we don't mention good things people do, but focus on the bad. Usually the ones making the bad comments are few, but make it out to seem like they are the majority. We tend to remember the complaints we heard longer than the compliments. However, if the compliments outnumbered the complaints, it may change...so - give a compliment or two or three or four or more!!!

Have a great rest of your week! May God reward you richly!

Serving Him ~