Jan 06 2009
Be an Encourager
I recently went and saw Joel Osteen and his family in Jacksonville, Florida. If you’ve never had the chance to see him, or hear him speak, he is an incredibly motivational speaker with a great deal of influence in the U.S. He resides in Texas with his family and has a church that was the establishment of his father.
His service was filled with intense worship, but the thing I received most from this time was the love shared between his family and those in attendance. I’ve never seen so many individuals yearning for positive influence and encouragement. Victoria Osteen spoke, Joel’s wife. Her message was to be an encourager to the individuals in your family and in your life, that your relationships can strenthen ten-fold when you are a positive relayer of information to those around you. Ironically, just before I left for the drive to Jacksonville, which is only about a few hours for me, I had requested her book from the library, entitled Love your Life Now. I had read reviews and felt it would be a great motivational book for me to read.
In it are incredible stories about how people encouraged others, and how she has encouraged others with so little effort. It really is a matter of attitude.
After I left the service (again, not having yet received the book) I added to my list of yearly goals that I wanted to ensure I was an encourager to my family and those within my power of influence. I thought hard on the way home about how I could make this a part of my every day routine, so that it wouldn’t be lacking. I want my children to really reap the benefits of this positive message, and they are truly valuable to me. If this simple act can make a difference in my relationships with them, then it is my responsibility to make sure it gets done more often.
I’ve started to take note of some of the little things in my children already. Things that I knew were there, but perhaps out of exhaustion or a busy day, didn’t comment on. I realize these were such missed opportunities. I don’t want to miss any more opportunities with them. Life goes by too quickly, and I want them to know how special and important they are in my life. I want them to realize their full potential and know that I was a strong figure in their lives to help them to feel as though they could achieve their goals.
I hope that you are also an encourager to someone in your life. It really makes someone beam when you tell them how special they are, and give them a reason, an example. It’s not difficult to do. It takes little effort, but the praise will go a long way.
So, be an encourager today.
