On Thursday morning at the end of woman’s group, we had a project to do. Each of us had to draw a name and then we were given a small canvas. Over the next 2 hours we prayed and designed the canvas as we saw fit, for the person whose name we drew. Most people painted, some used magazine cut outs, and there we Bible verses or quotes added as well. After lunch we got together again and presented and explained why we designed as we did. Whether God directly gave you and image to paint, or you used your favorite quotes and verses to uplift, the main point of this exercise was to encourage each other.

Even before we did this exercise I knew I was wanting to write an entry about encouragement. There is such a need for encouragement in the body of Christ today. I’ve tried to deny that it’s one of my love languages, but it is. I guess for me the reason why I denied it for a while was because it’s not your typical walk up and say a few encouraging words and I’m through the roof. For me, quality time is by far my greatest love language. I love spending one-on-one time with people. And I guess that’s where encouragement comes in as well. I get encouragement a lot more out of private conversations than large activities or people saying encouraging words in a public setting. For someone to come up and say they see something that they admire/respect…that sends me through the roof. Taking the time to truly personalize the encouragement…whether one-on-one or through a simple note, is such a huge confidence booster in my walk with Christ.

But this isn’t just about me. The Christian body as a whole is lacking encouragement. Love builds up, and we need to build each other up. I have a short talk on my computer about a man from George Street in Australia. This man ministered the gospel on George Street for 30 years before he ever heard about having an impact on people. 30 years…….he must be a man of extraordinary faith. I’ve gotta be honest………..I struggle if I go a week without encouragement, let alone if I ever had to go 30 years. I don’t think I could do it. Most of us probably couldn’t. God created fellowship for a reason. Let’s take advantage of it and encourage each other. Speak life into your fellow brothers and sisters.

Just before we left for break in December, one of my teammates spoke up to me and mentioned a quality that she saw and admired in me. This encouragement was amazing, especially because no one had ever encouraged me in this specific thing. It can be hard to continue doing something that you believe is right if it doesn’t seem to be noticed. It can even cause doubts about the action being a positive one. Life should be truly lived for an audience of One, but I know that I am willing to accept encouragement along the way.

If you know people that are away from home, whether they are in the military, serving overseas as missionaries, or simply gone away for school or employment, take a few minutes and write them a letter. By hand. Emails are great, but if you don’t have the means to see someone in person or talk on the phone, hand-written letter are amazing.

Take a few minutes to encourage someone today. You have no idea how much of an impact a few words may have.