When your early morning text includes a collection of encouraging sentences, the busy day begins with a smile.
When your day’s schedule includes a visit with a neurologist, positive words bring the ideal mental breakfast.
Yes, there is much hurt in our world.
Yes, we carry many questions.
Yes, uncertainty sits beside us.
Yes, the pressure feels overwhelming.
Yes, smiles sometimes seem in short supply.
But words of encouragement speak life, bring life, breathe life.
I appreciate my friend’s words—words that feel like friends as I read them, words that seem to bring healing, words that shift a mood.
What words have you spoken or sent to friends which switched their direction from hurt toward healing? What statements have you made which gave them a better sense of their own worth and value? What phrases have you said which assisted someone in their journey toward peace?
I hope we become better at being true friends, at caring, at offering words of healing.
My friend did that to me. The words I read revealed a truth I too often reject. The words changed me.
Try those words today. A text. A note. A conversation.
Also, try to sometimes include few words. Just be there instead of talking there. Just show love rather than stating it.
True friends can, through time, with and without words, bring healing.
Showing love to others is usually pretty simple… Show up and shut up. Sometimes the listening ear speaks louder than our words.
But at other times, an encouraging word, aptly spoken, provides a healing balm.
The critical factor? A loving spirit within us to share with others.
Thank you. I appreciate your comments and your silence. You are a true friend.
This is so good. I think its important that we have true friends. My youth pastor always said, you don’t need 100 friends, all you need is 5 good friends that you can share anything with and encourage one another.
I especially liked the part where you said that there are words that we share with people that can shift a mood or change someone’s day. It is important and special that it is that easy to be a helpful person but a good reminder because as we can change someone’s day for the better, we can just as easily hurt someone with something as simple as words.
I love this blog about being true friends. True friends do encourage one another with words of value and lesson, but true friends also listen with full intentions of hearing them, not being distracted by something or someone else when in conversation with them. I think what hurts the most is being in a conversation with someone, and when they see someone else, they go and talk to them while in mid-conversation with you. It makes it seem like the person did not care. People want people who will listen to them fully, without distractions. Can this be hard not to do sometimes? Yes, but this reminds us to be more intentional when we are in conversations with people.
This is an important reminder of how we should not only treat our friends, but the people around us. I really like your call to action! Yes, you are not only expressing how this has changed your life, but how you want us to experience how it can change ours! I believe that with the technology we have today it is so easy to encourage our friends, but we choose not to always use it in that way! Today we must begin to encourage one another! I love this!
This was a very encouraging post. Sometimes the most impactful times I’ve spent with friends has been when they just sit and listen to me talk. When I get the ability to just process aloud, and with someone in front of me, I often hear how wrong I can be just by speaking out loud. I’ve learned to do that with my friends, and I so need it sometimes.
We are called to strive to be like Jesus in every aspect of our lives. For some reason, I never really considered this with friendships. Sure, I encourage my friends and am there for them, but it wasn’t until a couple years ago that I realized that Jesus is our model for friendship as well. In the midst of trials, we should choose joy. That joy is an overflow from our lives into encouragement for others.
Personally, I tend to be the one who listens to others rather than the talking in many situations. Sometimes I think it would be beneficial for myself and others if I were to do some talking from time to time. Maybe I can impact my friends as they have impacted me all these years if words of encouragement and truth come out of my mouth rather than being a neutral listener.
Im sure were all familiar with the phrase “talk the talk and walk the walk”. I think that is especially true in the life of a Christian. If people see that you have a geniune walk with Christ thatll present opportunities to tell people about Jesus. Its important that we live a life of repentance and trying to share His love with others. That is what the post brings to mind for me.
I think this is an insightful blog! It is so important to have true friends around to lift you up, to be able to be vulnerable and open with, and to have fun with. It feels amazing to have someone who cares enough to listen to you and also be that friend as well to others. I finally found my true friends in college and I am so thankful everyday for them.
I really like this. encouragement is something often overlooked in our society it’s not necessarily Something that is absent but there’s also much more Encouraging that there could be especially amongst friends, and I think this is especially important to build closer friendships and close connections with people.
My dad always taught me growing up that you don’t build people up by tearing them down. Speaking life into people is not just a suggestion, but a command for believers. I truly believe that this world be so much better if people were simply kind to one another.