What kinds of encouragement can we offer one another? What kind of encouragement can we give ourselves?
You’ve probably seen page-a-day calendars that offer a daily dose of encouragement. That’s one way. Or there’s the screen saver on my personal computer, which consists of inspiring memes I’ve accumulated. A friend writes encouraging words in a journal to which she regularly returns. Sending words of encouragement is a sure sign of caring. Encourage yourself by learning to say “no” and avoid over-scheduling your days. Holding one another in prayer is another form encouragement.
In these days with fewer hours of sunlight, when we often retreat to the comfort of our homes, consider ways that you can offer encouragement to yourself and others. As Paul exhorted to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 5:11), “encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are already doing.”
This message is excerpted from “Be encouraging today,” by Linda Post Bushkofsky in the January/February 2020 Gather magazine.
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