I’m a sucker for verbal affirmation, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t quite have the same effect when it feels forced, generalized, or irrelevant to the situation I’m in. True affirmation and encouragement come from those who know the circumstances I’m dealing with and can speak truth that encourages and builds me up. It’s a high bar, but one that I hope I take the extra time to follow. It might mean spending an extra hour on the phone or taking time to drop by to talk with a friend. Lord, please help me take the time to listen, take the time to learn, and take the time to speak words of life and encouragement to those You’ve put around me.
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29