Growing up, my mother taught my brother and me to always encourage others. She set the example for us, so encouragement came naturally in our home. I realize it doesn't come naturally to everyone; however, God has given each of us a heart of encouragement.
The best place to become a good encourager is to begin in your own home. Your words mean the most to the people closest to you. In our home, Joel and I are in the habit of encouraging each other and have passed that down to our children. When Joel and I were first married, I did everything I could to encourage him. I would pray for him and write down scriptures that I thought would bless him and leave them around the house where he would find them. One scripture that always made me think of him read, "You will serve before kings and not obscure men." I didn't even know at the time what this would mean to him, but since then he's told me, "The fact that you believed in me has brought tremendous strength to my life."
Encouragement is a part of who Joel is. Not only does he encourage me daily, but he looks for ways to encourage others. One day, I walked out to the back porch and Joel was sitting there scrolling through his phone. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "I'm scrolling through my phone contact list and asking God who I should encourage." From time to time, he'll just randomly encourage someone and let them know he's thinking of them and praying for them. He sows encouragement because he has a heart of encouragement!
Today, look for people to encourage. Go out of your way to be a blessing. It doesn't have to be anything major. Sometimes a smile or a kind text is all people need. Ask God to direct you and develop your heart of encouragement!
"But encourage one another daily..." (Hebrews 3:13, NIV)