Encourage others as much as possible. Never discourage. Encouraging others adds you blessings while discouraging
reduces a lot from your account.
Encourage - Never Discourage
Researchers say that for every negative comment that we hear, it takes five positive comments to replace the loss caused by that negative hearing! Doesn't it mean that every negative comment makes us more depressed and discouraged? God never discourages. He always encourages!
All the sacred scriptures advice us to encourage others in every possible way. In the Holy Bible, we find this attitude of encouraging others in several places. Although we meet people who are depressed and
discouraged we find how they are encouraged by God, directly and indirectly!Gospel highlights a lot of examples of Jesus encouraging others. Hereby, let me cite a few of the encouraging remarks of
Jesus.
1) In the Gospel of Mark, we read about a scribe asking Jesus about the greatest commandment and Jesus answering him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (Mark 12:34 NIV) This is an encouraging remark from Jesus that would have delighted the scribe very much.
2) Another incident I want to share is the words of Jesus when he was confronted with a woman caught in adultery. He just said, "Then neither do I condemn you, Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:11 NIV) An encouraging attitude of Jesus Christ. Surely, those words would have been a great comfort for the woman and would have changed her life onto a better one.
3) Think of the encouraging words of Jesus to Peter when he professed Jesus as the Christ (Messiah), "Blessed are you,
Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 16:17) Encouragement to Peter!
Saint Paul always encourages others
St.Paul uses the word "encourage" or "encouragement" in several places - for example, in ten places just in his second letter to the Corinthians. We find that Saint Paul and his letters are infused with encouragement. His encouraging attitude enlightens us with the spirit of encouraging others as one of the main attitudes of the Christian life - or rather a human life. It enables us to know the love of God more deeply.
Paul guides us to the Holy Spirit whose role is encouraging
us in all our depressions and discouraged situations. Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit as our "ADVOCATE" (John 14:16). The Greek word used here is "PARACKLETOS" which literally means "ONE WHO GIVES ENCOURAGEMENT". Paul is convinced of the works of the Holy Spirit in encouragement. He calls for transforming ourselves by the renewing of our mind by training our minds (Romans 12:2).Although there are adversities, temporal pains, perplexities, persecutions, etc., we should never be discouraged, because "we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:8–18 NIV).
Discouraging others is dangerous
Discouraging others with negativity will cause your own life several dangers. Are you aware that the entire water of an ocean cannot sink a ship unless water gets into the ship? In the same way, negative comments from the whole world cannot put you down unless you allow it to get them inside you!
A powerful anecdote for discouragement!
The best way to encourage is to chase out the negative attitude or feeling with another positive feeling or encouragement. That is why Paul says to us, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV). He points out that gratitude acts like a powerful anecdote for discouragement.
ENCOURAGE OTHERS - IT IS A BLESSING!
God wants us to speak good of others and encourage them. It is a BLESSING both for you and others. When you encourage others and bless them with your good words, you help their growth, foster hope, and bring healing to all.
Encouraging words are powerful. When we discourage others with our words, we curse, demean, diminish or curtail their
growth and invoke God's punishment on us.
Encourage others and increase your blessings!
