Encouragement

Encourage- "to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence" (from Dictionary.com)

Everyone needs encouragement, especially in a world where everyone and everything shouts,"You're not good enough," "You're not rich enough," and "You'll never be happy without..." It is absolutely exhausting. There is no contentment or peace in such a world.

Hopeless, I groan because I believe I'm not good enough, wealthy enough, or happy enough. I see these words as unchangeable, unarguable truths. They ring in my ears and drown out everything else, and I spiral into a seemingly endless cycle of selfishness. Now, the world revolves around me, and my sad mess of a life. But who would understand, or care for that matter? The world just told me that I am a big bucket of worthlessness.


It is in these moments, that I wish someone would hold me in their arms and yell back,"Stop your lying! Can't you see how destructive it is?!" Many times, I have longed for someone to pull me up, up out of the filth where I had been groveling for so long. I needed someone to speak the truth: You were created by a the Perfect one who does not make mistakes. 

I thank God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, for being that someone. In my darkest hours, He was the one to hold my aching soul and wipe the grime away. He yanked me out of my selfishness and poured His Word into my heart, reminding me of His greatness. I may be nothing at all, but my Father is the Lord of All Creation, who gave His Son for my sins so that I could be His child. His sacrifice allows me to rest in Him, regardless of the world's lies.

The world shows us everything we don't have, but Jesus reminds us of everything He is. The world makes us covet, yet Jesus allows us to count our blessings. The world tells us we deserve better, while Jesus says we don't even deserve life. He is the only one who can truly fulfill us, and this knowledge is encouraging.