Be An Encourager…Make More Positive Comments
Lately, we’ve been discussing some of the downsides of communication with others. Negative communication is often inevitable so we talked about how to avoid making negative comments and how to respond to critical and sometimes hurtful communication when we are on the receiving end. On the flip side though, not only is it important to avoid making damaging comments, but it’s valuable to go the extra mile to make positive comments and to point out the good in situations.
I previously completed a six-part series of devotions on my YouVersion Bible app that was based on the Stay Positive series by Pastor Craig Groeschel, the Senior Pastor at Life Church. Something that Pastor Groeschel said really stood out to me (which was an indicator that it was something that I need to work on). He said if you think something good, you should say it and that you should never rob somebody else of a blessing. He said we should be a tool of God to be a voice of encouragement to other people on a daily basis. His advice was that anytime we think something good about somebody else we should turn it into a gift of encouragement.
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
God is an encourager
In fact, God himself is an encourager. We need to be like God and be encouragers too! When we encourage others, we are showing and being a little part of God to somebody else…somebody who may really need it.
“But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.” 2 Corinthians 7:6 (NLT)
I often think good things about other people, but I’m not always the best at vocalizing positive comments. So after Pastor Groeschel’s advice, I’ve been trying to do better about immediately saying, calling, or texting whoever it is that I may have had a positive thought about.
If I see something my sister has done that is super creative, I should try to remember to call her and tell her and not just think about it. If I’m grateful for something Eric has done, even something small, I should send him a text at work just to say “thanks, I appreciated when you…” If one of my kids did something to make me laugh or smile, I should stop right then and tell them that they make me happy. They are all simple little things that I typically just think about and pass over every day, but when I do so I am essentially robbing them of a blessing.
