Here is an absolute statement of truth

One of the greatest acts that you can do for another person is to be an encouragement!

People do not seem to realize that other people are just like them.  We forget that the start of each day, each year, or whatever new beginning is about to take place is found both great excitement and great fear.  The excitement is placed in our hearts by the potential of the moment and the fear is placed in our hearts by the uncertainty of the moment.  So with both emotions in hand we start out to accomplish much through the new.  Yet more often than not the emotion that wins out and often keeps us from accomplishing our goals, dreams or callings is the emotion of fear.

Fear is powerful and dominating.  It is able paralyze those who seem to be the strongest at the drop of a hat.  Fear receives its power from doubt.  Doubt that is caused by uncertainty or poor perspective.  We see the power of the moment and are excited about what can be but something keeps us.  It is fear which keeps us; it holds us in place and refuses to let us go.  It is fear that causes life to go unfulfilled and life that is not fulfilling is not life at all.

If this is true then each us should know how to treat others.  We should do all that we can to encourage others.  Circumstances, other people, or self can cause fear; so we in our dealings with others ought to seek to be a great source of encouragement.  I know this about me–I NEED IT.  There are too many “Danny Doubters and Donna Downers”.  I need/ You need someone to offer words of affirmation and support.  I am not talking about blowing smoke or just offering a meaningless cheer from the sideline.  What I believe we all need  (and need to be) is someone to take the time to encourage us by investing in what we are doing. (Of course this is assuming that we are doing what is good and right.)

Investing in others does not take much it just takes love.  After all it was the love of God that cause Him to give.  If we are truly loving as we are commanded in God’s Word to do then we will take the time to be and encouragement to others.  Just because it is not about you does not mean that you should not get involved.  Maybe this is the way for us to experience the best life possible, by not making it about us but by seeking to be an encouragement to others.

If we are to be an encouragement how do we do this? Notice these thoughts–

1. Put yourself in their place.  How would you want to be treated or what would you like for them to say or do for you?  I know that I want someone to say and show that they are in it with me.  I remember a time where I was deeply discouraged, I called a pastor friend of mine who was quite a bit older and had been in the ministry longer than I had.  By the time I was done talking with him I was more discouraged than I had ever been.  He did not consider how he would like to be treated if he where in that place.  At the moment he could have said let me pray for you but rather he said, “You do not want a bunch of failures on your resumé.” I needed someone to say, “it is going to be ok.”  I needed him to encourage me.  Become an encouragement to others by putting yourself in their place.
2. Put them in your place.  Let me explain.  This about honor and preferring others above yourself.  Most of the time when people fail to be an encouragement it is because they do not want to be bothered with the problems or plans of others.  They have their own agenda and do not want to be hindered by others.  Yet if we are going to be an encouragement for others we must put them in our place, we must make other people a priority.  We must be about the success of others but helping others to succeed through encouraging them will only occur if we put them in our place.  Rather than honoring self we choose to honor others.  It is no longer that “I look out for #1” but rather I look upon the things of others (Philippians 2).

With all that you have in you seek to be an encouragement to others!  They need it!  I need it!!!