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By offering some words of encouragement, we can help others face their present and future with courage!
by Becky Sweat
Flowers in hand, I rang the doorbell of my friend's apartment. After three weeks on a new job, her boss had called her into his office this morning and informed her that things weren't working out and he was going to have to let her go. I knew my friend was taking it hard; it had taken her several months to find this job, and now she was going to have to start searching again.
My heart raced as I approached the door. What was I going to say? Should I try to make her laugh and get her mind off her situation? If I ask her how she is doing, will she think I am prying? If I don't bring up what happened today, will she think I'm being insensitive to what she's going through?
When the door opened, I handed my friend the flowers and nervously blurted out
that I cared about her and that I wanted to help in any way she needed. I could tell
she had been through a lot that day, so I stayed only a few minutes and then hugged
her good-bye and went home. A few days later she sent a card, thanking me for the
flowers, but especially for the encouraging words.
For most people life has its share of disappointments. Fatigue from a demanding schedule, financial difficulties, a failed endeavor at work or school, health problems, difficulty getting along with a family member or friend-these are times when a person can feel frustrated and discouraged.
Our words can be a valuable tool to cheer up and encourage a person who is down. Proverbs 25:11 tells us, "Like apples of gold in settings of silver, is a word spoken in right circumstances" (New American Standard Bible). By offering some words of encouragement, we can help discouraged people face their present and future with courage and a positive outlook.
Yet often that's easier said than done. Sometimes we want to help, but we've never been in a situation similar to what the discouraged person is facing and are at a total loss for words. Maybe we don't know the person's circumstances well enough to comment on specifics, but we still want to show our concern. When you want to give someone a word of encouragement and don't know what to say, here are 10 phrases that help bring new perspective to a discouraged person's life.
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