There are only a few, but they have a powerful affect on my life. They are the “Encouragers”. As you might suspect, they are in my thoughts more than anyone else. How can you not be mindful of those who think of you, those who go out of their way to encourage you? It’s only natural that you develop a closer relationship with folks like that than you do to others. When you know they care about you it’s easy to care about them.
Over and over again, the apostle Paul made mention of those who ministered to him. They held a special place in his heart and he didn’t hesitate to make mention of them and thank God for them. We all need people like that.We need to be like that.
Folks would think more of us, both in frequency and value, if we made it a habit to express our gratitude for the good qualities in their life. Sadly, we usually do just the opposite–we condemn rather than commend, and criticize rather than congratulate. We need to turn it around! One writer made this suggestion: “Instead of trying to catch their children doing something wrong, conscientious parents try to catch them doing something right–and praising them for it: “Your drawing is amazing!” “I appreciate the way you let your sister go first.” “You always seem ready to help. That’s a great quality.” “Thank you for saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ so often.”
We live in a difficult and discouraging world–people need all the encouragement they can get. We can make a big difference in the lives of people by simply offering words of encouragement. Little gestures of kindness can make a huge difference in our relationships. So if you’ve developed the bad habit of always looking for the bad in people, turn it around and cultivate the practice of pointing out the good things in their life. Everybody concerned will be happier for it.
