The Encourager

I’m not sure if you would consider yourself an encourager or not but I know that I love to be around people who lift my spirits and breath life into my soul.  I suppose if we don’t know if we are that encourager at this time in our life then perhaps we could ask a handful of people for their honest opinion of us.  For many of us, there is a natural tendency to suck the life out of others when things are not going our way. In fact, I’ve been guilty of that before and God has convicted my heart that I need to build others up.  My prayer is that others would leave encouraged having spent time around me.  It is not a matter of others thinking better of me but that I have helped to give them more of a “God-shaped” perspective about their lives and circumstances. 

Allow these verses to shape our hearts and minds as we seek to encourage others:

1 Samuel 23:16, “And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.”

Romans 14:19, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”

Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:14, “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

Hebrews 3:13, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.”

Pray that God would make you an encourager towards others.