Chip Ingram's Four Keys to Becoming an Awesome Encourager:
1. Remember that people are hurting far more than you know, and far more than they show. That person next to you who looks like they have it all together, like everything is going their way – they are probably hurting. How do I know? Because they are just like you and me.
2. You have much more to offer than you realize. So often we think, Oh, I’d love to reach out and help that person, but what could they possibly learn from me? What do I have to offer? According to God – you’ve got a LOT to offer. Reaching out to people takes availability, not ability. You need heart and love, more than skill and knowledge.
3. Encouragement is helping others take the next step that they couldn’t take on their own; it allows them to become more like Christ. Encouragement is much more than a “warm fuzzy.” God uses our encouraging words at just the right time:
* As the spark that inspires someone to persevere through a difficult season
* As a reminder to be obedient even when it’s not what they want to do
* As a prompt to push beyond their comfort zone and obey what God is calling them to do
4. The key to encouragement is attitude. There are certain attitudes that you need to have to be a Godly encourager. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-21, the Apostle Paul gives us a series commands – exhortations, really – that all revolve around attitude. Why? Because he knows that the attitude of a church and the attitude of individual Christians is the key to creating an environment that is edifying and encouraging.
