Encouragement To Replace Despair
Jonathan is talking on Sunday about “encouragement to replace despair” he has asked people at church to email him and let him know what encourages them and what causes them to despair.
I think encouragement is very powerful. When someone or something encourages you it can literally turn your day around in a positive way. As Christians we do need to encourage each other more. In doing this we give support, confidence or hope to someone.
We can despair at many things, the negative words someone has said, the image someone has portrayed of Christianity, circumstances in the world and so on. Despair is the complete loss of or absence of hope. A feeling of hopelessness.
Notice how hope is present in both of these definitions, but for different reasons.
What encourages you?
What despairs you?
christianity, despair, encouragement, hopeabout
Posted on February 6, 2008
Posted by lynhallewell
Love encourages me! It’s the only thing that brings me up out of the depths of despair. Whether it’s delivered from God speaking peace directly to me through my thoughts and heart, or whether it’s my hubby, or a friend…it’s the only thing that injects me with hope.
What makes me despair? My fears, seemingly unfixable relational problems with people I love. Things like this force me to attempt to trust that God will REpair either by way of renewing my mind, or bringing miraculous remedies.
Great post as usual Lyn. You’re a dedicated blogger!
Equally may I compliment you with a great comment as usual
Looking forward to seeing you when we come over on May 6!
Hi Lyn, I read this from your post on Facebook. This is so right. It’s a shame I have to be reminded of it and that despairs me to think that really!
I responded to Jonathan about what encourages me and what makes me despair. This morning I was watching the news and I got really down thinking about some of the stuff that was happening in the World.
Then driving to work I thought about these questions and it really turned my thinking around and raised my spirits to think about what encourages me (which is that ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son..’ - basically there is Hope). It has really lifted me today.
Although as I said, it’s a shame my brain can’t have that programmed in to think that way all the time.
Am looking forward to hearing more from Jonathan about this on Sunday.
Thanks Jenni. Hope is a wonderful thing.
Our 3 month old son Silas encourages me. He really doesn’t have to do anything…
Cheers.
Wonderful! Children are so amazing and precious
Whenever I am down and the world or my thoughts seem so dark, when I’ve fallen and I can’t get up-what helps encourage me is when someone who cares for me says, “All hope is not lost; Jesus can turn it around and He is already doing it as we speak. He sees you now, and loves you immensely,” or something like that. When I know they know the reality of things and then express that to me in words, it helps line my negative perspective, at the moment, up with what is real and true. That encourages me!!!
Thank you Patti. People certainly are encouragers.