Dr Bob Paul, VP of Focus on the Family Marriage Institute, says our marriage differences can be our biggest marriage strengths.

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Nicole Hunt defends Focus on the Family from the slanderous & reckless assignment of ‘hate group status’ by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

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May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.

Romans 15.5 NIV

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10.24-25 NIV

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5.11 NLT

What does it mean to encourage someone? 

The definition of encourage according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope: hearten. But the part that’s hard to define is what it feels like to be encouraged when you really need it. How the smallest of kind gestures or a supportive word can absolutely unglue you. I love this quote from the Psychology Today article The Quiet Power of Encouragement, for the way it shows us what encouragement can do for a person. Of course, Biblical encouragement coupled with the leading of the Holy Spirit is a very powerful tool for the believer!

And what an amazing gift we can offer to others through encouragement! When we ‘en-courage,’ it’s as though we actually infuse courage into another person. Encouragement can provide people with strength to look ahead, move forward, and reach for the next goal. The whole emotional tone of a tough situation can be transformed through encouragement. Somehow things seem a little brighter.

Julie J. Exline (Psychology Today)

When you encourage someone…

To build on the ideas in the quote, let’s talk about what can happen when you encourage someone. I know, sometimes it feels like it will be easier if you just keep to yourself. You might fear you’ll look stupid, or the person won’t want to hear what you have to say. That could happen…but in my experience, people are hungry for a kind word and a listening ear. Your willingness to step out of your comfort zone could remind someone that they’re not alone. It could give them the little push they need to keep going. You can help build their confidence, and possibly even build a friendship from the experience. 

How to Encourage Family and Friends

Pray for God to guide you in encouraging the people in your life in meaningful ways. Watch for ways you can support loved ones when they are having a hard time, or when they’re discouraged. Ask them what they are struggling with. Here are a few ideas to help you get started: 

• Smile and listen
• Send a note of encouragement
• Point out progress, no matter how small
• Explain all the ways you’re thankful for them
• Buy a little gift that made you think of them

How to Encourage Strangers

Is it just me, or have you noticed that people in public avoid eye contact like it’s their job? This can make it difficult to find an opening to encourage a stranger, but God will give you an opportunity at the right time if you’re open to it. 

• Smile 
• Hold the door
• Compliment 
• Tip well at restaurants 
• Make time to have a conversation with someone who seems willing. People are lonely out there. 

How to Encourage Yourself

This might seem like a strange idea, but sometimes there’s not someone around to encourage you, and since you have the Spirit and the Word, there’s no reason not to remind yourself of the reasons you have to be joyful and courageous. If you don’t know some encouraging Scriptures off the top of your head, search for verses to have ready for the struggles you are facing.  A few of my favorites are: 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29.11-13 NIV

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2.10 NLT

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalms 121.1-2 NIV

What are your favorite verses to encourage yourself with? Let us know in the comments what ways you like to encourage others in your life!

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Focus on The Family

focusonthefamily.com

Whether you’re having trouble in your marriage or family, or you’re looking for resources to help enrich your life, Focus on the Family has you covered. There are blogs and articles, all the episodes from the radio show, Q+A’s, and more about every aspect of family life. They even have a free Marriage Assessment to help you find the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship. They tackle tough situations, like “When You Don’t Want to Divorce, but Your Spouse Does” and how to “Extend Grace When Your Spouse Behaves Badly.” There is a tab in their menu, Get Help, where you can find a counselor and guidance through all sorts of issues. 

Something you may not have realized, is they also have a news website called The Daily Citizen (TheDailyCitizen.com), dedicated to being a trustworthy, relevant, and reliable source of news from a biblical worldview.

Haven Today

haventoday.org

Haven Today’s mission is to “engage and encourage people through digital, print, prayer and broadcast ministries that are all about Jesus.” Anchor is their daily devotional that you can sign up for and get directly emailed to you, or Anchor Today is a 60 second audible devotional that you can either listen to on the radio, or listen to on their website. They have a daily Spanish broadcast called El Faro de Redención with listeners around the world. Charles Morris also does a Podcast called “Great Stories” which consists of “the best full-length interviews from Haven Today with Charles Morris to deepen your walk with Christ in light of what’s happening in the world.”

Insight For Living

insight.org

Insight For Living has a broad range of tools for evangelism, discipleship, and Bible study available in several languages. Besides the teaching broadcast, you can find devotions, downloadable Bible studies using Chuck’s Searching the Scriptures method, blogs, articles, videos, live Sunday service, podcasts, counseling services by phone and more. You can get the Insight For Living mobile app to access more of their content right from your phone.  IFL also has a kid’s audio drama called Paws and Tales to help parents teach biblical wisdom to kids. These delightful tales are available on DVD, CD, MP3, on the website, and on the app.

Harvest

harvest.org

This website, featuring the teaching and preaching of Greg Laurie has an unbelievable amount of content including webcasts, tv broadcasts, podcasts, blogs, devotions, online courses, ebooks, and a separate website called Virtue, dedicated to women’s ministry. 
I love that right in the menu, there is a tab that says Know God, where there are 4 sections: How to Know God, How to Grow Spiritually, Foundations For Living, and Questions. Here you’ll find the Gospel clearly presented, questions unbelievers commonly ask with conversational answers, first steps for new believers, and information for discipleship.

Revive Our Hearts

reviveourhearts.com

Here you’ll find a family of programs under the umbrella of Revive Our Hearts, articles, conference messages, videos, and more. In the Listen tab, there is a link to Avivos Nuestros Corazones, a website in Spanish with all the same content. 

My favorite thing ROH offers is a series of 30-Day Challenges, like the Seeking Him Prayer Challenge and 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge. Another super cool thing they offer is beautiful, inspiring, free wallpapers you can download for your laptop or phone!

If you’re looking to go deeper in your walk with Christ this year, set aside some time to explore these rich resources. We hope you find some tools to help you along your way!

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