“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
In a culture filled with cynicism and criticism, we are called to be encouragers.
Research shows that encouraging others works better than criticizing them. To encourage means to instill courage. It’s using your words to build, instruct, empower, and console. It’s choosing to magnify the good and not the bad.
Your words of encouragement to a loved one, a friend, or even a stranger can mean a great deal. A positive, uplifting word about doing better, making it through a difficult situation, or overcoming an obstacle can make all the difference in someone’s life.
Look at it this way. We all have an emotional tank that works like the gas tank of a car. In order for the car to drive, you have to fill the tank with the proper fuel. Encouragement works the same way. It is the fuel that motivates and propels you forward.
I want to challenge you to seize more opportunities to encourage others rather than criticize them. Never shy away from expressing hope and inspiration to those around you. Determine to be a tank filler and not a tank drainer.
