Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just in fact as you are doing.
I Thess. 5:11
We all love compliments and encouragement and yet strangely they seem to be a rarity. We don’t often receive them and we don’t often give them. I always find it surprisingly nice, in particularly, when I receive a compliment from a total stranger. Maybe it’s the fact that there is no hidden motive behind the message. It’s simply nice being nice (out loud). It’s a genuine act of kindness. But it also means a lot to me to have a friend or family member do the same. Sometimes we take it for granted that those closest to us know how we feel. I mean, we assume for example that our spouse loves us but it’s still nice to hear it (to be reminded). There have been many times I think something nice about someone else’s actions, appearance, etc and never say anything. I’m not sure why the hesitation. I know the feeling I get when I get a compliment or encouragement from someone. It builds me up. It’s a warm fuzzy. I would love to be in the habit of making someone else feel the same. It’s nice that I have the thoughts of encouragement but it would be better to share them. What good is a compliment or encouragement if it’s never uttered? To me it’s like a prompting by the Holy Spirit that, if unspoken, gets thrown into a pile of wasted opportunity.
Today’s Encouragement: Try, with me, to practice building each other up. Speak the compliments you think. Don’t hold them inside. Look for ways to encourage others. It’s quite possible our compliments or encouragement may be the lone bright spot in someone else’s bad day.
Question of the day: Can you think of a compliment you received that really affected you or your day?
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