#TheMotivatorsSeries: Be An Encourager by Sister Rugina

Be An Encourager by Sister Rugina

"Pleasant words are . . . healing." —- Proverbs 16:24 NIV

Do you regularly encourage others to live up to their potential and become their very best self?

Are you continually searching for ways to uplift spirits, dispositions, and views of God within the various environments where God planted you?  Have you determined to develop a positive and nurturing spirit towards the individuals placed in your life?  Alternatively, do you regularly withhold encouragement as a form of punishment or withdrawal from those around you?

Do you harbor deep-seated feelings of resentment, bitterness, and a sense of entitlement therefore unable to express positive words in certain relationships?  Has your heart hardened and disposition soured over time based on life's diverse circumstances?

Saints, encouragement and hope is a very powerful gift to consistently hand to others.  It is the fuel by which others can climb out of miry clay and the most heart-wrenching situations.  When someone knows that you are their number one cheerleader no matter how and when they stumble - powerful things happen within that person's heart, spirit, and soul.

Let's opt to be encouragers in every environment that God plants us.  We have the critical choice of whether to sow seeds of inspiration, encouragement, and God's word into others on a daily basis.  Alternatively, we can opt to withhold all positive interactions and verbal expressions to convey our feelings of hurt, distrust, or anger.  We may think that the other person is being effectively punished or chastised when we choose to withhold these things.  The truth is that we are the ones that are being punished and held in bondage in those circumstances and relationships.  God encourages each of us through His word, others, and within our spirits - if only we draw near and listen closely.

From His wealth of love and encouragement, we can shine light in dark places and within shuttered hearts.  We can truly become "salt" intended to season those around us with encouragement, hope, and positive relationships.  We are strategically placed in certain lives, seasons, and environments for a reason.  It is no coincidence that our paths cross someone else's whether it be a one time divine encounter or a lifelong co-mingling of lives.  Could it be that we may be the only encourager that someone encounters?

Could it be that our encouraging words and positive interactions may make the difference between one that completely gives up vs. one that climbs to higher heights in God?  We may never know how deeply we've impacted others, however, God knows.  Encouragement - what a powerful legacy to leave behind as we sow seeds today.

When people have love and hope, there's no telling how far they can go!  Solomon writes: "Pleasant words are… healing."  So, how about your words?  Do they build up or tear down?  How do people feel when they're around you?  Do they feel small and insignificant, or do they leave you believing in themselves and realizing what they can become?

With God every weed is a potential rose.  His book, the Bible, is the ultimate book of hope.  It tells us that Jonah got a second chance to go back to Nineveh and the whole city turned to God (Jonah 3:1); that the Prodigal Son came back from a wasted life and was restored to his family (Luke 15:11); and that Peter, the man who denied the Lord, became a leader in the New Testament church and died as a martyr for the cause of Christ.  Do you want to become great in God's Kingdom?  Become an encourager, a nurturer, and a restorer!

Your Sister in Christ,
Rugina Poellnitz