Power Of Encouragement

For anything substantial to take place in and through our lives, we need to continue pushing forward. To persevere through obstacles and pushback, we’ll need to learn how to encourage ourselves and encourage others along the way. When we feel encouraged, we are more positive, optimistic, and we have a can-do attitude. With this kind of mentality, we can continue advancing what we’re believing for in our family, practice, and relationship with God.

In 1 Samuel we see that David, “Encouraged himself in the Lord”. David was a man after God’s own heart, and he needed to encourage himself. I think it’s safe to say we need to do the same. The world around us can be discouraging, but the world within us needs to remain encouraged, upbeat, and positive.

One of the greatest ways to defeat discouragement is by encouraging others. When we encourage others, we are being others-oriented, getting our focus off of ourselves. If we’re only thinking about ourselves, we are consumed with our needs and we can find ourselves in an internal downward spiral of thoughts. As we care for the needs of others, we’re lifting them up, and in turn, lifting ourselves up with them. Through focusing on a positive outcome for them, our thoughts lock in on positivity, and we find ourselves in  more optimistic state of thought.

This week, make a decision to encourage yourself, but also encourage others. When both actions are happening together, you will find yourself more upbeat and optimistic.