Encouragement & Blessing Others

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

(1 Thess 5:11)

This piece of scripture seems like a great place to start for today’s practice- Encouragement.

YES- encouraging others is a spiritual practice, it’s not just a nice thing to do. When we encourage honestly, we can help people to see themselves in a truer light, also God delights in us, so why not call out what He sees in those around us?

I’ve heard that for every negative thing we hear about ourselves (or think about ourselves- yikes) it takes TEN positive things to overwrite it. That means that we need people to take encouragement seriously.

I want to live in a world where people know, where they really internalize, their value, worth, and dignity. And I believe that when those words of truth are absent, it makes space for the lies to take root and change our outlook on who we are and who we are meant to be.

Blessing is a specific kind of encouragement that helps root the receiver in God’s grace rather than in flattery or comparison. Scripture is full of blessing and being blessed is core to God’s vision of who we are- he blesses us and when we bless others, when we speak God’s love into someone else we become more like him. (Rom 8:29)

Time to Practice: Ideas on how to encourage and bless others

1) Compose a blessing for someone you know, ask God to lead you to a scripture that will be impactful for this person.

Let’s say you’ve prayed about a person and have figured out that you want to call out their bravery- do a search for “scripture about bravery” and people who are awesome will have likely pulled some good passages about that topic:

My recommendation is not to pull the first one you see, but to take a look at which book of the bible the scripture comes from, who is saying it, who they are saying it to etc. really try to find a context that makes sense for the person you want to bless.

Give this blessing to the person it is intended for in either written form or (if possible) out loud.

2. Choose a day to exclusively speak words of encouragement.

For a whole day avoid insults, gossip, and sarcasm. Try to notice how you feel as you share these words, also try to notice what ripple effects you have on others because of your interactions.

Be selfless in this practice, don’t let your insecurities get in the way of your blessing others. Take Proverbs 12:18 to heart: “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

3) Helping others is another kind of blessing.

If you’re more of a doer than a sayer then consider how you can bless someone though an action. Make note if someone offhandedly mentions their clogged gutters, hectic schedule, or a cold that just won’t budge. Grab a ladder, deliver a dinner, drop off some tea and vitamin C. Encouragement through actions doesn’t have to be extravagant. It just needs to be intentional for the person who is receiving it.

Even ordinary action can have extraordinary effects.

4) Offer your presence.

A good friend of mine, who is not a Christian, came to hear me speak at church one Sunday. I couldn’t believe she came! Seeing her in the sanctuary gave me an extra push to deliver the word God had laid on my heart with extra verve that week. That same friend came with me to visit my dad when he was in the ICU. Encouragement, sometimes, is just about being there. Even when we don’t have words our simple presence can encourage someone.

Show up.

Even if it feels like you’re going to be in the way, go for a bit. Your presence matters to those who need encouragement.

Final Thought:

Remember that no one ever said, “No thanks I don’t want to be encouraged,” (and meant it). Even when it is uncomfortable to receive encouragement, it is still necessary. I used to hate when people told me nice things about myself. What I’ve realized is that, for me, I was so parched for someone to acknowledge me that when they did I cringed away because it was so unfamiliar. Accepting encouragement and blessing from others has been a growth point for me. I can’t always be the one who does the encouraging, because, as it turns out, encouragement is a two-way street.

Be authentic, have huge impact.

Love ya,

If you have any great stories of encouragement, or how to bless others, let me know (via email) meghanlamatthews@gmail.com or (on Instagram) @itsmeghanmatthews