Who needs encouragement? The first person who comes to mind needs a text or a call from you today.
It is ok if the person you think of is the same person who received a meal from you a few days ago. The point is to be an intentional encouragement to someone today. On day 13 I ended my challenge to you with these words: “Put courage back into someone today!”
I love being around encouragers. If you are honest with yourself, you probably like to be around them too. I have found that even people who get uncomfortable or embarrassed when receiving praise from an encourager still come back to those people regularly.
There is something enticing about a person who is looking for ways to be an encouragement to others. They are not only caring and observant, but they create something new in the people around them. It may look like confidence, pride, or self-worth, but it is really something else entirely.
Encouragers make people courageous.
If you have ever been in a close relationship with an encourager, you know that it is a little bit easier to share the messy parts of life with them. Why is that? Because they make you courageous.
For those of you with the gift of encouragement, this is why people always seem to dump their problems on you. The courage you give them helps overwhelm their need for self-preservation. They know that you are safe and caring and that you see potential in them.
So, today when you intentionally encourage someone, know that you are IN-COURAGING them. You are putting courage into your friends. Don’t be pandering or disingenuous, but rather, examine ways that they have blessed you and driven you closer to Christ. Simply shine a light on one example of this and see how God will use it to encourage your friend.
Jason Hundley 