Be a Cheerleader!

Discouragement is easy to find.

A complaining customer. A nitpicking spouse. An unsatisfied coach. An absent parent.

And if we aren't being discouraged by those around us, we are pretty good at generating it ourselves against ourselves.

I'm never going to make it. I'll never be good enough. I'll never understand. I'm just a loser.

That's probably why the Bible tells us to encourage one another.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Take a look again at those examples above. Do you notice a pattern?

They are all about me and my wants. They are about my desires to please others. They are about selfishness.

We need to be encouraged. Not to build up our self-esteem, but to get our eyes off of ourselves.

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" (Hebrews 10:24).

Encourage one another to love and good works. Encourage one another to look at the needs of others and to do something about it.

There's nothing wrong about telling your child he did a good job at the soccer game. There's nothing wrong with encouraging your spouse in weight-loss and diet. There's nothing wrong with thanking your pastor for his sermon.

But those are pretty easy, short-lived and probably what they're hearing from others.

Encourage them to love and good works.

Help them to put their abilities and skills to work in serving others.

That will get their focus off their desires and onto the needs of others. Which is the mind of Christ (Phil 2:5-11).