Think about the last time some one said something really nice about you. Maybe it was your boss, your significant other, or a family member… maybe it was stranger. Either way I bet you can remember exactly how it made you feel. Luckily for me, one of the last times I truly felt that kind of encouragement, the kind that instantly warms you and gives you strength to fight through a particularly difficult time, is captured in the note above. It was written by a coworker, after she noticed me being rather hard on myself. You see, I’d just had my first consultant meeting as a broadcast meteorologist, and it didn’t really go so well. |
My clothes weren’t good enough, my makeup not always applied perfectly, my hair wasn’t curled. And while the sweet lady who was consulting me really earnestly meant well, the whole ordeal left me feeling inadequate.
It took that note to remind me that, regardless of what the world says, what GOD believes about you trumps everything. And thankfully, God didn’t hide His thoughts about us.
So this brings me to my question… how often do we hide, or simply ignore, the positive things we see in others?
Everyone deserves to be encouraged. Every person on this earth deserves to be uplifted… so much so, that if you look at God’s Word, he didn’t exactly make it an option… it’s a commandment!
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” - Ephesians 4:29
“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” -Hebrews 3:13
There’s no wiggle room there. God is telling us to lift each other up, day after day, for as long as it’s called Today!
I think it’s interesting what Hebrews says at the end of 3:13, “lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” The one thing satan LOVES is to make us doubt ourselves. To rub our nose in our faults and failures, and the worst part is, most of the time we agree with him!
The Bible tells us, satan is the father of lies and by agreeing with him, we allow ourselves to buy in to the idea that we can’t escape our faults, that we’ll never overcome our past… to the point that we believe we’re unworthy of God’s love. But this is a lie! What’s the way to beat it? Encouragement!
The first thing we must do, is get in agreement with God’s Word! We must remember the promises God gave us and what He says about us.
”’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11
The second thing we need to do is start speaking faith and love into others! We need to start telling the people around us how special they are, how much we love them! And how much God loves them!
How much easier would it be to tell the devil to shut up if you had someone right behind you cheering you on?
Well wake up! Because you do! His name is Jesus! And it’s time you get in agreement with Him and start being a cheerleader for yourself and others.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” - John 15:12-15
It took that note to remind me that, regardless of what the world says, what GOD believes about you trumps everything. And thankfully, God didn’t hide His thoughts about us.
So this brings me to my question… how often do we hide, or simply ignore, the positive things we see in others?
Everyone deserves to be encouraged. Every person on this earth deserves to be uplifted… so much so, that if you look at God’s Word, he didn’t exactly make it an option… it’s a commandment!
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” - Ephesians 4:29
“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” -Hebrews 3:13
There’s no wiggle room there. God is telling us to lift each other up, day after day, for as long as it’s called Today!
I think it’s interesting what Hebrews says at the end of 3:13, “lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” The one thing satan LOVES is to make us doubt ourselves. To rub our nose in our faults and failures, and the worst part is, most of the time we agree with him!
The Bible tells us, satan is the father of lies and by agreeing with him, we allow ourselves to buy in to the idea that we can’t escape our faults, that we’ll never overcome our past… to the point that we believe we’re unworthy of God’s love. But this is a lie! What’s the way to beat it? Encouragement!
The first thing we must do, is get in agreement with God’s Word! We must remember the promises God gave us and what He says about us.
”’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11
The second thing we need to do is start speaking faith and love into others! We need to start telling the people around us how special they are, how much we love them! And how much God loves them!
How much easier would it be to tell the devil to shut up if you had someone right behind you cheering you on?
Well wake up! Because you do! His name is Jesus! And it’s time you get in agreement with Him and start being a cheerleader for yourself and others.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” - John 15:12-15