At the college I attended, in addition to completing required courses in your major—mine being English—students also submitted a portfolio of their best work, which after the approval of an academic Board of professors qualified them for graduation.

Tucked inside my portfolio, I still have an orange 3 x 5 card on which one of my professors wrote: 

A beautiful body of work—I’m proud of you and feel lucky to be one of your readers. . . . I hope you continue writing and try to start publishing. You have talent, and heart, and wonderful wit; and equally important, you can produce graceful pages.

Me? Start publishing? Really??

At the time it sounded impossibly overwhelming, but his words gave me confidence and vision to press on and consider that “maybe I could be a published writer some day . . .”

His words gave me encouragement then, and still do today when I read them.

We all need encouragement from time to time. To encourage means “to inspire with courage.” It’s to spur on, to stimulate, or initiate hope.

The antonym is to discourage, or “deprive of courage or confidence; dishearten.”

Proverbs 25:11 tells us our words of discouragement or encouragement can make or break a person’s spirit—imparting death or life. 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. 

Encouraging words are words of blessing. We all need to be reminded of our potential, our goodness, and most of all the beautiful qualities we carry as image-bearers of God.

A word of encouragement, fitly spoken, can be exactly what’s needed to spur us on and give us the courage to live out the high and holy calling God has bestowed upon each of our lives.

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken at the proper moment.  (Proverbs 25:11 REV)

Here are a few thoughts about the value of encouragement:

Words of encouragement:

• are deeply connected to faith, hope, and love.
• can propel us into action.
• offer hope.
• help us feel loved.
• confirm our need for one another.
• cast a vision for the future.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  (Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT)

It’s been said that encouraging words are oxygen to the soul.

An encouraging word is a word of blessing.

Lord, show me who I might encourage today, and give me the words to say. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Do you have a story of encouragement? Please share in the comments below.

Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Elton

The post Encouraging Words of Blessing appeared first on Cheryl Elton.

I was visiting my elderly Dad in the nursing home when out of the blue he said, “You should have won that Spanish award in high school.”

I looked at him in stunned silence . . .

His words felt like someone trying to pick at the scar and re-open a wound from long ago.

“You remember that?” I finally said.

“Of course,” he replied. “We all knew you were the top Spanish student senior year, yet I never understood why the award went to someone else.”

I could only shake my head in disbelief and smile.

If only I’d heard those words 30 years ago!

How it would have tempered my disappointment and affirmed all my hard work. 

But the award ceremony came and went and nothing was ever spoken.

Failing to speak the good we are thinking can sometimes wound as deeply as words carelessly spoken.

Proverbs 18:21 tells us “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

Words are powerful.

They can convey negatives on the road to death—pain, offense, dejection, depression, annoyance, rage, etc. . . .

. . . or, our words can impart life—inspire, encourage, motivate, embolden, heal, restore, and so on.

As Christians, our words should reflect the message of Christ and add value to conversation, building up rather than tearing down.

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) 

Our words can dispense grace to the hearers!

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4:6)

Salt has long been used to preserve and flavor food. It makes what we eat wholesome and palatable.

Likewise with our conversation . . .

Like putting salt on our food, our talk should be seasoned with good, gracious words, making conversation more appetizing and flavorful.

Without “salting” our words, they are subject to being unprofitable and injurious, like meat left untreated, spoils.

So don’t hold back!

Remember the words from Berton Braley’s poem “Do It Now”: 

“If you think some praise is due him now’s the time to slip it to him,
For he cannot read his tombstone when he’s dead.”

Is there someone you can bless today with kind and encouraging words?

Copyright © 2017 Cheryl Elton

The post Make a Difference in Someone’s Life Today appeared first on Cheryl Elton.