BE That person

At some point or another, we all need words of encouragement to fuel our souls and give us the inner strength we need to just moving forward in life. There will be times where the sun will shine bright and everything is happy go lucky; but other times, you just want to crawl under a rock and just stay there forever.

The book of Ecclesiastes speaks about time. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Read chapter 1)

So, don’t beat yourself up if you’re having a bad day, because there is a time to laugh just as there is a time to weep. There will be days where you will be strong and courageous and will conquer the whole world. But then there will be days where you feel so weak, you won't even have the strength to hurt a fly. And I want to tell you that it’s ok to feel that way, it just shows that you’re human!

It is in those times that we must rely on people who can give us an encouraging word to uplift our spirits. Yes, we can go to the bible and God will give us the strength and power we need to jump right back up and shake off that funk that we’re in. However, we are called to be in community and do life together that is why it’s so important to have a friend or a support group where you can go to and say, I need you right now without feeling ashamed. Go to people who you can trust and know they will give you an honest word of encouragement but also be that person people can trust and go to in their time of need.

Be that person.

Be someone's person.

Today, I encourage you to be the change. Be the encourager, the one to lift up the hands of those who are weary and have no strength; may your words be medicine to their souls. Be that person, be someone’s person. We all long for encouragement. Your words, your act of presence, your smile, your “I’m here for you” your emails, text messages, phone calls, letters, your Facebook post, IG stories, tweets, random act of kindness and generosity is what can help someone in a time of need.

The world is full of people who are lost, who have given up on hope, who are going through hardship and have no one to turn to for encouragement. Make yourself available to fulfill that need and bring a ray of sunlight into someone’s dark world. We are called to be the light of the world. (Read Matthew 5:14,15) You and I can make the difference. Be that person that God uses to bring forth change!

I leave you below with a few encouraging words I found from the book “Encouragement Changes Everything” by John C. Maxwell.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

~landypf

1. Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.

-George Matthew Adams

2. An Experiment in Encouragement

Years ago, an experiment was conducted to measure people’s capacity to endure pain. How long could a bare-footed person stand in a bucket of ice water? It was discovered that when there was someone else present offering encouragement and support, the person standing in the ice water could tolerate pain twice as long as when no one else was present.

3. Encouragement is deciding to make your problem my problem.

-John C. Maxwell

4. Encourage Yourself

Don’t let yourself…

• Worry when you’re doing your best.
• Hurry when success depends on accuracy.
• Think evil of anyone until you have the facts.
• Believe a thing is impossible without trying it.
• Waste time on trivial matters.
• Imagine that good intentions are a satisfactory excuse.
• Harbor bitterness toward God or person.

5. Let no feelings of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.

-Abraham Lincoln

6. Positively Wired

A study was done by psychologist Henry H. Goddard on energy levels in children. He hooked children up to a device called an ergo graph to see how they would respond to the words of others. He found that when tired children were given a word of praise or commendation, the ergo graph showed they experienced an immediate surge in energy. But when the children were criticized or discouraged, the device showed their energy took a sudden nosedive.

Never underestimate the power of an encouraging word.

7. The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.

-Benjamin Disraeli