Encouragement Urging others to persist and persevere in their efforts to attain their goals; stimulating others toward love and good deeds. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24)
Encouragement for Your Spouse
I so enjoy being around folks who, at least occasionally, are an encouragement to others and lift their eyes off themselves using words and actions to lift (buoy) others. The older I get and am around an aging set of friends, which is natural and a pleasure, the conversational themes are definitely changing. We find it a simple transaction to move from topic to topic invariably resting along the way on the topic of health or the lack of it. I used to be inwardly judgmental of older people who spoke of ills only. I am beginning to understand that we need to vent and perhaps to find encouragement as others show care for our health struggles.
Regardless of the age of your spouse, could you invest some time this week in becoming an encourager (buoy) rather than an unintentional “discourager”?
Let’s Walk in the Light of Jesus – He is the Light of the World (John 9:5)
What a wonderful encourager our Abba / Father is! Do your remember or would you read the story of the interaction between the Father and the Son at Jesus’ baptism? (See Matthew 3:15-17) Knowing Jesus was about to embark on His public ministry and was going to experience many trials, the Father encouraged His Son by saying, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus knew His mission. His Father encouraged Him along the way to continue on the course though the way was so very hard.
God knows your life too – the good, bad, and ugly – and longs to encourage you in it all. He invites you to come to Him. Jesus welcomed us in Matthew 11:28-30 inviting us to come and receive the rest He offers in the middle of our busy, sometimes fractured lives. Would you read Matthew 11:28-30 and stay with Jesus long enough to know He cares about all of your life, is able to handle each and every challenge, and then receive His rest? The re-charge you receive may be just the encouragement you need to “not grow weary in well doing”!
Would you discuss this in the exercise below where a “date conversation” or “coffee talk” is encouraged?
Let’s Walk in the Light of God’s Word – It is a Source of Light for Us (Psalm 119:105)
Here is an Encouragement within an Encouragement I Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. Paul told the Thessalonian Christian to keep encouraging each other, then encouraged them by saying what a good job they were doing. Keep it up!
What is it about your spouse that you know or can discover that would be an encouragement to him/her? Would you invest some time to sit quietly and reflect on your spouse, perhaps asking God to help you see his/her strengths or qualities worth noting? What are those qualities?
Is she/he humble, selfless, frugal, honest, enthusiastic, calm, peaceful, exciting, vivacious, diligent, positive, a realist, a dreamer, ……? What could you point out to your spouse to encourage him/her to keep on keeping on and not give up?
Whatever quality you choose to commend, please take the time to privately or publicly recognize your spouse for the quality person he/she is. The above samples are just to “prime the pump” of your thinking, if you happen to need some help.
Notice our Date Conversation/Coffee Talk section below:
Let’s Walk in the Light of Real Fellowship with Other Believers – We are the Light of the World, Too. (Matthew 5: 14)
The people at Thessalonica must have been walking in this light. Paul commended them to keep on encouraging one another as they were already doing. Don’t stop. When encouragers encourage others, then many get to walk in the light of God’s love.
What is it about your spouse that you discovered in the exercise above that you can now point out as you encourage him/her? Is she/he humble, selfless, frugal, honest, enthusiastic, calm, peaceful, exciting, vivacious, diligent, positive, a realist, a dreamer, ……?
Choose a good time to encourage your spouse. Perhaps tonight when the family is together at dinner or over the weekend when you are all in the car together, why not say to your spouse — just loud enough for the kids to hear or quietly just to him/her —“Hey, dear, I noticed at church last week how well you did with those children in our class. You were so patient and gentle with that one little boy that seemed so hard to control.” “I am so proud of the way you handled that difficult situation with the neighbor.” “You are working so hard to get that work project done. I know it means a lot to you to finish and do it well. I am proud of you. Any way I can help?”
Date Conversation / Coffee Talk 1. What could you point out to your spouse to encourage him/her to keep on keeping on and not give up? Based on what you discovered about him/her, focus on some great encouragement. You may need to be brief or, if time permits, hopefully, you can elaborate. See how he/she receives your words and follow up accordingly by listening well to the response then either continuing the encouraging conversation or just moving on to other topics – whichever is appropriate. It is OK if your spouse doesn’t have much to say. Even if they sorta’ “blow it off” as no big deal, that is OK too. You are not encouraging them to get a response but to help them know you care and that you notice their strengths. I heard someone say, “Make sure you reward what you want repeated.” By encouraging a person for their qualities or toward achieving a goal, you are helping them to keep on keeping on.
2. Would you share with your spouse what you experienced in your time God delving into Matthew 11:28-30?
TBI’s encouragement to you: Galatians 6:9: So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Truly, there are few ways to invest your life that have more potential positive impact to our world than investing wisely in loving your spouse. The jury is in! The studies have been studied! Abundant life in marriage and family in the context of a loving, Christ-centered home create environments of freedom, love, security, and positive outlook. If you grew up in a home where abundant love was given and received, you are blessed above most people. If not, then determine to “not grow weary in well-doing”. You will reap from God’s personal promise if you do not faint. We know God was not trying to say that we must be perfect or that we won’t sometimes get tired. Have you seen others keep on going even when the “going gets tough”? The husband or wife who shows love, even when love is not being returned in kind, receives rewards that we can’t adequately describe or perfectly quantify.
After all, wouldn’t you have loved and benefited from being around a home where you were encouraged to “love and good deeds” by parents who loved each other and loved you, who believed in you and focused on your strengths, while not ignoring weaknesses?
By the way, thank you for reading this 52-Week Plan installment. That encourages us to keep going! We hope our efforts to send this each week gives you a useful tool in your quest to love “the Lord your God” and “your neighbor as yourself”…starting at home.