We’re a separated people.

If we want to blame someone or something, there’s no shortage: a pandemic, social media, politics, inequities, and the list goes on. We tear each other down, perhaps not face to face but definitely behind the scenes. We can comment on a post without thinking about the repercussions. We can jump on a bandwagon because something makes sense to us, but we might not remotely look into the facts. We can support someone without thinking about what they need. And perhaps they need truth and accountability.

We think encouragement is approval, blind affirmation. It’s not. Encouragement infuses courage into people, and courage cannot be false to be effective. Courage requires truth, strength, and humility. And encouragement requires connections.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together…(Hebrews 10:24-25a)

How are you spurring on others, and how are you engaging with others who spur you toward the best qualities, goals, and processes? What does encouragement look like in your life?

Relationships take effort, and the same qualities I mentioned above as part of encouragement: truth, strength, humility, connections. It all flows together but healthy, encouraging relationships don’t come easily. The messes of life seep in. If we’re not mindful, that seeping gradually soaks us. We might not notice because the discontentedness slipped in gradually, and we got used to it. Who knows how long we will steep in the mess before we realize and acknowledge it? Sometimes it’s easier to redefine ourselves in the mess instead of doing the difficult work to move forward. We need strength and courage, and that requires truth and humility in the context of connections infused with encouragement.

My writing retreat friend, Lisa Womble, recently published The Encourager’s Devotional. It’s a product of the encouragement she received from others. It’s the result of her passion for people connecting in healthy, faithful ways. And the encouragement will continue. It will pour through the people who commit to a full year of working through what encouragement is in everyday life. This is more than a book; it’s an exploration. It will challenge and nourish you. Every month, there’s a devotion, study, and reflections. You won’t be able to check off a list every day. This is more of a journey. I suggest you invite someone to join you on the journey. In fact, I’d like to get you started. If you’re interested, leave a comment with why you’d like a pair of copies. I’ll reach out to three individuals for a mailing address and ship two copies to each of you, so you can journey together. Because journeying together is encouragement in itself.