A Word of Encouragement

Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. - Proverbs 12:25

I have to be honest. I have an anxiety problem. I tend to stress over things a lot. I am sure I am not alone in this. We all get worked up over things. The problem is we often worry about things that we shouldn’t. Most of the things we worry about are things that are really not that big of a deal or we have absolutely no control over, and sometimes they are both. Sometimes things are a big deal but more often than not we make them bigger than they are. 

When we get stressed over things it does just as the proverb says, it weighs us down. It is often all we think about. It diverts our attention away from the things that we should focus on to these things that are often no big deal, and/or we have absolutely no control over. And it consumes us. It consumes us because in our sinful flesh we never assume the best, we always assume the worst. That is a sign of our brokenness and not trusting in the Lord. So what do we do with this? Here are a couple of suggestions that help us fight the battle of what I call "downtroddeness." 

King Solomon says a good word makes him glad. A word of encouragement is priceless in times of weariness. So often what we need is a brother or sister that just gives a real word of encouragement and truth. Sometimes that word of encouragement is just a simple “things will be ok,” and sometimes that word of encouragement is a hard truth that we need to hear but maybe we really don’t want to hear. A hard truth that maybe we have taken our focus off of Christ and placing our trust in something else and maybe that is why we are feeling so weighed down. Having that one person we trust with our downtroddeness is a gift from the Lord.

Another way that we can battle against a heavy and discouraged heart is to be an encourager. A couple of years ago Mark Becker said something that has always stuck with me. He said that when he is not encouraging others, he often feels the least encouraged himself. But when he is encouraging others, he seems to feel the most encouraged. What a truth! We should be encouragers because if we feel the weight of a heavy heart, certainly others are as well at times. We should be an encourager to our brothers and sisters because if we need it, they do too. 

We all feel the weight of a heavy heart at times. Who do you have that you trust to speak truth and encourage you? How can you be more of an encourager to others? A good word is often so easy to do yet we neglect it so often. It is a simple text message, phone call or even an email to say thanks for a service or to ask how you can pray for someone. Maybe it is a little longer conversation just to walk through a struggle with someone and point them to Jesus. Maybe it is just a simple “I love you." Be an encourager and give a good word that will 
make someone glad today. 

I love you guys and am so thankful to be your pastor.