Do you ever wish someone understood, appreciated, respected, and loved you for who you are? That’s because we were built for intimacy—a close, deeply satisfying relationship that empowers, edifies, and encourages us at our core. Experiencing total disconnection from others awakens fear in most of us. But in the same way, nothing stimulates our human spirit like the experience of a loving connection—something that assures us we are not alone, and that we are accepted and acceptable to someone. When love is felt, the message is heard. Love is the glue of our connections. Love is the only hope for overcoming our isolation.
While many of us feel a strong need to encourage the people we love, it’s often harder to reach out to those we don’t particularly care for. Let’s be honest—how many times have we encouraged someone who was rude to us, or someone we believed was on the wrong path? How easy is it to overlook the elderly person who’s taking too long in the checkout line, or ignore the neighbor who always complains about our dog? Just think about it—we consider ourselves good people, right? We open doors for strangers, smile at the guy covered in oil at the service station, and we even cleaned up a bit after the potluck last Sunday. But the real question is: are we giving it all we’ve got? Or are we just doing the bare minimum—being polite and personable, but keeping our hands clean at the same time?
The world needs more people willing to speak into the hearts of others and say: “I believe in you.” “Follow your passion and live your purpose.” “If you have the desire, you also have the power to make it happen.” “Keep going—you’re improving, and you’re getting better every day.”
We all need encouragement! We love being around people who inspire us and make us feel great. And while we may always remember the negative people who told us we couldn’t do something, we never forget the ones who encouraged us. Today, choose to be the person who instills positive belief in someone who needs to hear your words. Uplift someone who is feeling down. Fuel others with your positive energy. Rally people to focus on what is possible, not what seems impossible. Share encouragement. It builds relationships. It matters. And we all need it.
Discouragement will come. But if we are empowered by God and encouraged by others, we are better equipped to dismiss it. Encouragement gives us the strength to take that next step. Sometimes we just need one person to say, “You’ve got this! You can do it!” And always remember: the world is a better place because of you.
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