It’s Okay… Encourage Yourself

Well, hello again friends and fellow readers. Yes, it’s me! I’m back to share a few more nuggets with you.

“ Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.” — George Mueller

One day I put pen to paper to write a simple piece to calm my angst. At the time it was suppose to be one of those moments when one writes to get their feelings out and garner a little self encouragement. “But David encouraged himself in the Lord.” —1 Samuel 30:6. Right then I thought nothing of it. I just knew that I could write it out better than I could speak it out. That’s how it all started. It began to extend beyond me. It was bigger than just me.

As I journey from day to day, moving from one place to another, I see hurting people. I see blank empty stares. I see looks of hopelessness that question, what am I going to do. How will I make it through this day? It would be so easy to look away, and utter to ourselves that “that’s not my problem!” But, oh my brothers and sisters I must beg to differ.

Today, Psalm 34 in its entirety speaks to my heart. Why am I disturbed? Why am I questioning God in my pain, “Lord why have you forgotten me?” But a few verses later, it says to hope in the Lord, and praise Him through it.

When we are feeling alone and in despair, we have to encourage ourselves. As we are encouraging ourselves, let’s remember that person that I spoke of earlier who looked hopeless. Spread a little hope through encouragement to them. To go a little further, help if you can, but when you can’t, just give it to God.

When you are feeling some kind of way, think on this, Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book— “We need to be talking to ourselves more than we are listening to ourselves.” (Spiritual Depression). Consider what God would say to us through conversation, then say it to yourself.

Points from a sermon, The Psalms — A Call to Honesty, I challenge you with:

Five things that will help you encourage yourself:

1.) Be emotionally honest with yourself and God.

2.) Remind yourself of God’s goodness.

3.) Challenge your inward despair to correct wrong thoughts about God.

4.) Let hope in God be your anchor in the storm.

5.) “Gaze at God and glance at life.

Be Encouraged! We’ll talk again later. But until then, you’re wished love, joy, peace, and blessings. ~Barbara G.