Last week, I shared a story on the power of encouraging other people. I believe that each and every one of us is called to be an encourager to those around us, and that’s why I’m committed to creating a habit of lifting up others through notes of gratitude like these. I hope you will, too. (And if you purchase some through that link, it’s also a great way to support our ministry here!)
But here’s the thing: Encouragers can’t encourage if they’re down. Life is hard, and it can cause us to lose our joy if we aren’t careful. How are we supposed to be an encouragement to others if we ourselves are discouraged?
That’s partially why it’s so important that we keep ourselves mentally and emotionally healthy—so that we can be a positive influence on those around us. This week, I’d like to share with you a few tips for staying encouraged in a discouraging world.
Stay connected with God.
Our spiritual lives affect every other part of us, and that includes our mental and emotional health. When we’re not close to God, we aren’t fully relying on Him to get us through the difficult times. And that’s when we get ourselves into trouble.
The joy of the Lord is a powerful thing. It helps us get up when we’re knocked down. It helps us practice gratitude and see the positive side of life. It gives us the motivation we need to power through when life gets hard. But how can we have the joy of the Lord if we aren’t constantly living in His presence?
When we’re right with God, we’re better equipped to deal with the world and everything it throws our way. It’s His will for us to be encouraged and to encourage others. So if you’re feeling discouraged today, here’s some good news: God is ready and willing to be your strength and encouragement. All you have to do is draw near to Him.
Surround yourself with encouragers.
Just as we’re meant to encourage other people, other people are meant to encourage us. It’s reciprocal. It’s a cycle of sharing gratitude with others and receiving it from them. And when we’re cut of from the cycle, we can’t be all that we’re meant to be.
Humans are relational beings. It’s how we’re made. We are hard-wired to crave deep, meaningful relationships with other people. And a healthy relationship includes the aspect of being an encouragement to one another. If we allow ourselves to become isolated, or if we surround ourselves with people who are always complaining and putting us down, how could we possibly stay encouraged?
There’s nothing weak or unnatural about needing fellowship and validation from other people on a regular basis. In fact, it’s completely normal and healthy. Once we accept that about ourselves and put ourselves in a position to be encouraged by others, we find that we’re much more able to be an encouragement to them as well.
Encourage others (even when you don’t feel like it).
Which brings us to my last tip. It may sound odd, but the truth is that one of the best things you can do when you’re feeling discouraged is to be an encouragement to others.
I know, I know. When you’re down, the last thing you feel like doing is going out of your way to lift someone else up. After all, you might think that they should be the ones encouraging you. But as strange as it may seem, it’s true that encouraging others has a positive effect on us as well.
Think about this: How did you feel the last time you went out of your way to be an encouragement to someone? Did you walk away feeling worse or better? Lifting others up naturally boosts our own mood, and it creates space for relationships to grow and for other people to reciprocate our appreciation. All of this leads to more overal positive feelings of encouragement. Do you see how this works?
We are meant to be encouragers, not so caught up in our own problems that we can’t be of any help to others. And if we’re going to be encouragers, we need to stay encouraged. Our health depends on it. I believe that if you follow these tips, they’ll take you a good ways toward keeping yourself encouraged.
Now I’d like to hear from you. What tips do you have for staying encouraged? Have you tried any of the ones I laid out, and how did they work out for you? Let me know what you think in the comments or on social media.
Thank you for reading this week’s blog post. It’s my hope that it’s been an encouragement to you the way that your being here is an encouragement to me. Until next time…
To your fitness!