Thoughts

09/12/2012 :: Daily Thoughts -
"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing" (1 Th. 5:11)

I found this post on Facebook from Proverbs 21 Ministries today:

Are you talking trash or truth to your heart today? Based on her book, A Confident Heart by Renee Swope, Renee shares the difference and equips us with truth:

• When self-doubt whispers, "I can't do that. I'm going to fail and look foolish." Trash that lie and hold onto this truth: "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6, NIV 1984)

• When self-doubt whispers, "I'll never change." Trash that lie and hold onto this truth: "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in [me] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6, NASB)

• When self-doubt whispers, "This is too hard for me. I don't have what it takes to..." Trash that lie and hold onto this truth: "No, in all these things [I am] more than a [conqueror] through him who loved [me]." (Romans 8:37, NIV)

Self- Doubt is an area I struggle with in my life.  I used to be confident in my abilities, but "life" drug me down and took away my youthful exuberance and confidence.  Do you feel this way?  Or is it just me?  I felt good about myself and my job even though it was far from perfect.  Was it because I had people who believed in me? I think that is part of the solution.  I believe that when we reach a certain age, people no longer see us as special and needing encouragement to succeed.  We tend to start drifting into the woodwork.  Probably this is when we need encouragement the most - our bodies are changing, health issues are popping up, and frankly, we struggle with not being "young" anymore.  We need encouragement to nourish our flagging spirits much more at this time in life.

Instead of dragging your friends and acquaintances down with negative talk and gossip, try instead to see something good about that person and build them up.  You never know what effect your words of encouragement might have on someone and turn that self-doubt into self-confidence.  We are told to “exhort one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13) and “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2)

To encourage someone in the Lord  is the key: it puts the focus on God, who is the only One who really deserves to be glorified, and it builds us up in our most holy faith (Jude 20)

~We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, ...(Rom