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Encouragement

Encourage One Another

by Crystal Stine  •   Jul 18, 2016  •   35 Comments  •  
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Encourage one another.

It seems so simple, doesn’t it? Would you like to know a secret?

Encouragment has been the single most effective way for me to find friends online.

It has also required the heaviest sifting of my heart to find.

Encouragment has brought me the most joy and has found me more often than not on my knees before the Father in tears. I continually have to put my selfish pride behind me and do things — in blogging, online communities, and real life — that bring glory to God, not myself. And it’s hard.

My natural tendency is to strive. To have a goal and do everything in my power to make it happen. When it works, my pride grows. When it fails, my pride suffers and I become insecure, comparing and wondering why it worked for “her” but not me. And that, sweet friends, is an ugly path I have traveled down far too often — and far too recently.

It is only by the grace of God, a powerful refining, and a softened heart that I have experienced the full joy of offering praise for the success of others.

Like anything that feels hard at first, it takes practice, endurance, reaching out to someone and celebrating their achievement when you wish it was yours. In a world where competition is the norm and women are expected to be catty, not congratulatory, it takes effort.

But I can promise you this. When you go out of your way to share someone else’s amazing words, leave an encouraging comment for a friend, or share information about an opportunity you think she would love, you are doing a hard thing. You are choosing not to keep it all for yourself, you are choosing to admit that you are not the only one who can do this thing and you are showing this world that Christ’s light shines brightly when we live for Him and not ourselves.

As I’ve opened my heart to those around me, as I’ve joined community and sought ways to encourage others, He has blessed me in incredible and unexpected ways.

Today, my amazing friends, let’s give God the opportunity to poke some holes in our pride so He has more room to shine. Be a light. Love one another the way Christ has commanded us to and take this “light living” from the pages of Scripture to the screens of blogs and out into our daily lives.

Who is God calling you to encourage today?

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