How do you encourage yourself in difficult times? Or do you have a strategy for when you feel purposeless or lose your way? Those may sound like strange questions, but the feelings can happen to all of us. This past weekend I read a simple tip that I hope can be a helpful treasure for you, too.
Kent Sanders in his weekend digest email shared that he started an “encouragement file” years ago to keep track of cards, personal letters, and other paper items that were especially uplifting to him. Every time he would receive an encouraging note, he would put it in a file folder. He later started to do the same kind of thing with digital encouragement, too. Now whenever a friend, family member, or student writes an email, Facebook comment, or blog post that reminds him of the difference he is making or of someone’s care for him, he has a special folder in Evernote specifically labeled “encouragement” where he can put the link or screenshot of the comment or message. He still has the physical file as well, and both are readily available to him whenever he needs the reminders.
It’s easy to run into moments or stretches in our lives where we can start to doubt our worth or feel like nothing we do matters. This is why an encouragement file can be so helpful. When we’re having one of “those days,” looking back over comments or notes of encouragement from others can remind us that we really do make a difference. This can give us an infusion of courage to keep going, try again, and not give up.
I think of so many moments in my life where God has used the encouraging words of people to show me His provision and care in heartbreaking times and when I’ve felt defeated. He has truly met me at every turn. Keeping a file or list of these encouragements can also be a way to symbolically pick up a “stone of remembrance” to always have a visual reminder of how God has provided in the past so I can more readily trust His working now even when I can’t yet see it.
We see practices like these modeled in Scripture as well. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River as told in Joshua 3 and 4, Joshua instructed twelve men, one from each tribe, to take up a stone from the middle of the river they had crossed. Those twelve stones became a memorial of God’s provision. Every time one of their children would ask what the stones meant, they would have an opportunity to rememberand share how God had supernaturally taken care of them. We see a similar reminder in 1 Samuel 7:12. After God provided victory for the Israelites over the Philistines, Samuel set up a stone he named Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the LORD helped us.”
How has the Lord helped you thus far?
Being intentional about remembering is so important to fight off discouragement and to have strength for facing future battles as well. Besides keeping an encouragement file, we can also “collect stones” by making a gratitude list or writing Scripture verses on notecards or in a journal to keep God’s care in the forefront of our minds. It is especially helpful to have the reminders easily accessible when we are tempted to forget. I often need to come back to truths such as these in my own life:
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” -Romans 8:31-32
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39
“’Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,’
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”
-Isaiah 54:10
I am so grateful for how God’s Word reminds us over and over of His love, compassion, grace, and provision. I have often found that writing out passages like these helps to imprint the truths on my mind and heart even more than simply reading them. And even saving a verse as my phone lockscreen, writing it on a sticky note for my bathroom mirror, or putting it on a notecard with a magnet on my refrigerator can be a visual reminder of God’s truth when I can so easily forget or become discouraged.
Truthfully, this is part of why I have this blog, too. Even from the beginning several years ago when my husband was diagnosed with cancer and later passed, and continuing now with these “Treasure Hunt Tuesday” posts I’ve been writing lately, I always want to intentionally remember the encouragement God has given me and take time to share it with you as well.
I’m hoping that writing this post will spur me on to take some additional action steps this week, too. And I’d love it if you would join me!
First of all, think of one thing you can do to plan ahead or make a habit that will bring encouragement to your heart and remind yourself what is true. Whether you create an encouragement file physically or digitally, start a gratitude journal, or write a scripture on a notecard where you can see it often, try to think of one way to collect remembrance stones or treasures to bring to mind God’s goodness in every season.
Secondly, let’s try to think of at least one person we can encourage with specific words this week. It could be a card or note to mail or even a simple text message or social media comment, but I always want to remember the power of our words and strive to use them wisely.
Ephesians 4:29 exhorts us: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
I want to build others up and be a help and benefit to those who listen. With all the noise of the world around us, how refreshing it is to have words of grace, truth, and encouragement to treasure.
I’d love to hear from you as well! Do you have any treasures or “stones of remembrance” to share that have especially encouraged your heart? Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message!
P.S. As a bonus action step, I can’t help but say if you aren’t already on Kent’s email list, I would definitely recommend signing up! I’m not exaggerating when I say his weekend digest is one of the favorite things in my inbox every week. He believes everyone is “born to create,” so each weekend he shares 3 creative links in addition to a personal story of encouragement. You can go to his website at kentsanders.net and enter your email address to be included.
Happy treasure hunting!
** All Scripture quotations in this post are from the NIV84 translation of the Bible.
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