By Elaine Vitikainen
“This was not a good year for me” a colleague said as we sat together for dinner a few weeks ago. We began to console each other on the many challenges of being freelance consultants – until another friend interrupted. She started telling my colleague the many ways in which he’d done well in the past year. I saw how his face suddenly lit up with her encouraging words. And that was just a single time – imagine what a difference it makes to hear such words regularly.
Words are powerful. They can build up or tear down. It made me stop and think about the words I speak into my own life and others. My well-intended criticisms may actually discourage. But my positive words build someone’s courage. Romans 12 talks about love in action. In verse 10, it reminds us to ‘devote to one another in love, honouring one another’. What does this mean in practical terms? I think it includes regularly speaking words of encouragement.
This week:
- Think of those who are struggling at work. How can we encourage them? How can we show that we genuinely care for them?
- Think of those who you work with? How can we be a blessing to them?
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