Encourage Yourself

We all face difficult seasons in life. The key to victory during these times is to stay encouraged. Although it’s important to be lifted up by our friends, the best way to stay encouraged is to encourage ourselves! In a day and age when people are very critical of themselves, we need to be just the opposite and become our own greatest encourager.

One of the best examples of this is David. 1 Samuel 30:6 says, “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” He faced many oppositions, disappointments, and set backs. But the key to David’s success is found in the fact that despite the negative circumstances all around him, he drew his strength from the Lord and remembered what God had done for him in the past.

One of the greatest ways to encourage ourselves is to remember what the Lord has done for us. No one else can truly know how the Lord has provided for, cared for, blessed, and delivered you than yourself! Focus your mind and heart on what the Lord has done for you. You’ll increase your faith and have more strength, hope and joy to continue living a better life in Christ.

Fix Your Mind

“Whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is kind, if there is any virtue, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

What you think about determines the quality and direction of your life. Naturally, people who think positive, uplifting thoughts have happier, healthier, longer lives. They are less stressed, more vibrant and enjoy better sleep. That’s why the scripture encourages us to think on good things—things that are true, noble and lovely. Some translations say to “fix your mind” on them. When you fix your mind on noble things, you close the door to the negative voices and open your heart to allow God to work in your life. Choose today to fix your mind on good things. Do whatever you need to in order to keep those good thoughts before you. Write them on note cards and put them in a place where you can see them. Confess God’s promises over your life and declare His blessing on a daily basis. As you fix your mind on the goodness of God, you will rise higher in every area of your life. You will be filled with His peace and victory, and you’ll see every dream and desire in your heart come to pass.

The Joyful Things

At times I’m so discouraged
with the problems of the day,
I fail to see the joyful things
that are along the way.

When troubles overwhelm me
it’s then my nerves may fray.
That’s when I need to take the time
To simply sit and pray.

Reflecting on God’s many gifts,
it makes me so aware
of all the joy in little things
around me everywhere!

I must try to remember
though problems come my way,
not to miss the joyful things
and the beauty of the day.

Have a blessed week.

NOT PERFECT

I was looking out on the woods that surround my house today as I walked through the melting snow. It seemed so strange to see how the trees looked in the middle of winter. Their black, gray, and brown trunks were twisted, wet, and gnarled. They were full of chipped bark and dead limbs. They seemed almost ugly and as far from perfect as you could get. Still, I knew that in just a few months they would be alive again with bright, green leaves and in a few months after that they would be full of beautiful colors that would delight the heart and uplift the soul.

Thinking about this made me smile and reminded me that you don’t have to be perfect in order to live a blessed life. God knows that I am far from perfect myself. I make mistakes every single day of my life. I am still a gnarled, empty, tree trunk much of the time. I do try, however, moment by moment and choice by choice to live a good life. I do try each day to choose and to share love and joy. I do try to grow in oneness with God more and more as I travel the path of life. I think, in fact, one of the best moments in my life was the moment that I decided to stop trying to be perfect and to just live in love and joy while sharing all the gifts that God gave me.

We all need to stop trying to be perfect. We all need to stop judging ourselves and just love ourselves. We all need to give up on living a perfect life and enjoy living a good and beautiful life. Anne Frank wrote, “Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is! Let us all live the good news within us then. Let us all grow some bright, green leaves of love in our lives. Let us all share the beautiful colors of peace and joy from our hearts and souls with everyone everywhere. We might not be perfect, but we can still bless the world with the best within us and with the gifts God gives us.

Set Your Thoughts

“Set your minds and keep them set on what is above, the higher things, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Faith is simply seeing what God sees. It’s choosing God’s way, even when things look differently in the natural. When you set your thoughts on higher things, you are looking at life through your eyes of faith and seeing what God sees. For example, you may have a financial need today, but when you look higher, you see God’s promise to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. You may have sickness in your body today, but when you look higher, you see that Jesus paid for your sickness and diseases. You may feel lonely today, but when you look higher, you see that God has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.

As you study the Word of God, you are setting your thoughts on higher things. As you set your thoughts on higher things, your faith will become stronger, and you will begin to see those things become reality in your life. You’ll see God’s hand of blessing, and you will live the abundant life He has prepared for you.

Dreams…

Hold fast to dreams,
for if dreams die,
life is a broken winged bird
that cannot fly.

-Langston Hughes