The Power of an Encouraging Word

"You can do it!"
"You're awesome!"
"You have made my day!"
"I couldn't have done it without you!"

None of these phrases take longer than a few seconds to say, but their power is immeasurable. And when someone affirms you with them, you never forget. Mark Twain said he could "live for two months on a good compliment. Proverbs 18:21 says that our words "have the power of life and death." We prove this every day.

Maddie is our little extrovert. Like most nine year-olds, she has her moments. But for the most part she brings sunshine into any room or circumstance. I was laying on the couch after a stressful day this week. It was around four o'clock in the afternoon. Maddie purposefully walked across the room, threw herself on me and said, "You're the best Dad ever. I love you." A hug and peck on the cheek and she was gone. Mission accomplished. No one told her to do it. She doesn't get a bonus in her allowance because of it. She just did it. And it changed my week.

When you have the opportunity to do so, are you an encourager? It really doesn't take that much time or effort. But it's power is almost beyond description.

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