Many years ago, my husband and I were building our home in Duluth. We spent months finding the ideal piece of land, months finding contractors and securing financing, and months in the actual construction phase. Doing much of the work ourselves, we juggled daily hands-on labor with our other jobs while raising our two daughters. Looking back now it’s hard to fathom how we scraped together enough time to manage it all, but somehow we did—though our girls are probably scarred from having to play in the dusty surroundings of a roughed-in house while Bill and I ran wiring or stained ceiling wood, or a million other tasks!
A few months in, after constantly pushing ourselves to get as much done as possible, we were exhausted —both physically and emotionally—though not acknowledging either. Over time through this process, our exchange of words had become fewer and more direct. And, honestly, most of how we spoke to one another was beginning to sound fairly pessimistic. Despite the unintentional nature of this behavior, it had become a habit we had fallen into as a result of this super-stressful season in our lives.
One day, the task we were taking on involved installing an antenna in the attic before the dry wall installation began. Bill was up on a ladder with antenna in hand while I was operating as ground control, steadying the ladder and retrieving additional tools as needed. A few short words were given as Bill positioned the peculiar-looking contraption and then I heard the unexpected from his mouth:
“Yes!” he said with charged enthusiasm. “That’s great!”
I remember hearing those simple, positive words and feeling my spirit soar like a one-ton weight had been lifted off my shoulders. His words were so encouraging at a time when I suddenly realized most of our conversations were not. Just that positive declaration gave me the hope that things could go well and life could be good. As silly as it sounds to think a couple common words could be so powerful, to this day I remember receiving them like a balm to my soul. And that was more than twenty years ago!
The Bible has a lot to say about the words we speak:
“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” —Proverbs 12:18
“Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.” —Proverbs 12:25
Who doesn’t need a word of encouragement to lift their spirit and lighten their load? There’s not a person on the planet that doesn’t benefit from a simple affirmation.
“Well done!”
“You’re amazing!”
“Good job!”
Words like these cost us nothing. And simply by opening our mouths, they can flood someone’s perspective with life, healing, support and hope. How often do we think something nice about another person but don’t utter a single word? I do this far too often. It’s time to be the voice of encouragement. It’s time to call out the good things we see and underscore them for the world to hear.
“It’s time to be the voice of encouragement.”
If a single, positive word from our mouths can profoundly impact someone’s life, then we should be searching for those opportunities and anxious to share whenever we can—with our children, our spouses, our friends, our coworkers—even complete strangers that we interact with in the course of a day. The messages of our culture and the challenges of living life need to be bolstered regularly with truth and encouragement. And we have the power to do both. It’s right there. On our lips.