Do you fashion yourself as an encourager or a complainer? Do you try to build people up or do you find yourself tearing others down. As Christians one of the greatest gifts we should always strive to use is the gift of encouragement. It is simply amazing how a short email telling someone how much you appreciate them or a text message saying that I enjoy your company can make a person’s day.
If you want to have a great ministry then try sharing short notes and phone calls every day to encourage people in your sphere of influence and watch how you become a blessing to many. We all crave encouragement and it is one of the few things in life that costs absolutely nothing to dispense except maybe a few minutes of your time a day and a few choice words.
Words used in the right way can be a great source of encouragement while words used unwisely can be a great source of discouragement. I have often said that if you don’t have anything good to say about someone then “zip it.”
Or better yet, why not follow this awesome advice by evangelical biblical scholar, D. A. Carson, who once said: “All of us would be wiser if we would resolve never to put people down, except on our prayer lists.”1
My friends we live in a world filled with so much negativity. Why not resolve, from this day forward, to be a positive person sharing encouragement with all the people you come in contact. I guarantee not only will you brighten many people’s day but you will be doing the will of God which, praise God, will brighten the Lord’s day too!
1 D.A. Carson – All of us would be wiser if we would resolve… (bibleportal.com)