Christian Words of Encouragement

How to Keep Yourself Encouraged During Difficult Time, Life is such that everyone will have different experiences. Life's  lessons cannot be said to have been thoroughly learned without passing  through some difficult times. They are part of what make us stronger,  wiser, and more grounded. Staying encouraged is one of the ways to  overcome difficult times. However, it is not an easy task to remain  encouraged in the face of difficulties. Are you searching for ways to keep yourself encouraged during  challenging times? Do you want to equip yourself with necessary  nuggets to be able to withstand difficult times without losing your  courage? Read the tips below and be encouraged. 1 of 4: Be Optimistic - Difficult Times Shall Pass. One of the ways you can keep yourself encouraged is to be positive and  remain optimistic that the difficult times shall soon pass away.  Remember that everyone had their share of troubles of this world, but...

  “Be strong and courageous…”  (Joshua 1:6) Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the    Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. During these trying days, we remember the popular saying, “Not all heroes wear capes.”  These words resonate with us because we understand that the ability to show courage extends far beyond superhero characters.  Experience teaches us that we all can show courage in our day to day lives.  Courage, like other virtues, is not always demonstrated with big, dramatic actions.  Instead, it is demonstrated in small words and deeds, such as when we speak up for those without a voice or extend a helping hand to those who are in very difficult situations.  Because courage looks to help others, it is a very important virtue, especially today.  Indeed, as poet Maya Angelou has said, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t prac...

  “For they [humans] are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow.”  (Psalm 144:4, NLT) “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV) There is a beauty in this day that may go unnoticed.  We know well that life is busy, full of duties and obligations, and the hours fly by quickly, like a ‘passing shadow.’  In the midst of all this busyness, it is important to take some time to observe and contemplate life’s beauty.  We could find it in the laughter of a child or in the vivid colors of a rainbow, to name just two simple examples.  If we keep our hearts and minds open to seeing it, we may find it in unexpected places.  As Saul Bellow has said, “Unexpected intrusions of beauty.  That’s what life is.”   May God give us grace to see so that we can better navigate life’s journey together...

 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11-12 How does God speak? God reveals to Elijah that he speaks, and that he is gentle. ... Windstorms, earthquakes, and fire all pass before him on the mountain, but the author tells us that those were not God. Instead, God's voice came in "the sound of a gentle whisper."   Did you ever said this before? I'd love to go but a small voice tells me I really should stay home. This term actually comes from the Bible (I Kings 19:12), where Elijah hears his own inner voice: “And after the earthquake a fire ... and after the fire a still small voice.” Okay; I kn...

  “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid.” Frederick Buechner “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 NIV Most of the time true courage is not expressed through news worthy actions or extraordinary feats.  Anne Radmacher reminds us that “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow.'  The type of courage that moves the world forward is most often seen in the small, faithful choices we make every day when we fulfil our responsibilities, when we do the right thing, when we care for the needs of those around us, or when we love unconditionally.  We have it in us, and we act on it constantly.  On some days, however, when the rain turns into a downpour and clouds obscure our perspectives, it is helpful to be reminded:  Don’t be afraid.  You...

Your mindset effects your well-being During this un usual time in history, choosing the way you think and  feel is crucial to maintaining a healthy mind, body and spirit. Limit  the amount of time you listen to and read the news. Choose 1-2 times  per day when you check in to see if there are any changes that affect  you or your family so you can know what actions to take. Take a few  moments to process this information to know what next steps to take in a calm, peaceful manner, but do not internalize it as this leads to  feelings of overwhelm.  During the rest of the day dwell in a state of  peace and joy by using the above techniques. By continuously practicing positive mind-talk, you will soon see a  major shift in the way you think and feel. carlmathisbooks.com

Do you ever feel like you’re living a life far from the one you dreamed  of for yourself? Does it feel like you’re losing an uphill battle? Do  you look around and think, “everyone else has a better life than mine?” You’re not alone. Each day, millions of people live a life filled with regret,  disappointment and setbacks. You don’t have to be one of them when you discover the secret to a  powerful life. Contemplating the power of God is something that can benefit all  believers. When we meditate on the fact that God is all powerful, we are  reassured that he is in control and that we don’t have to be. When we  realize we don’t have to be, this frees our mind, heart and spirt to  receive. Receive creative ideas, inspiration and wisdom  which helps us  to overcome a life of regret. There is no real power without spiritual power that comes from God. A  power that comes from deep within. A power that's connected...

Making decisions can be difficult. Often there is a lot at risk. Our choices have the power to change our lives for the better-or for the worse. Making a choice certainly means taking a risk. We may fear not succeeding, undergoing displeasure from family or friends, or being eventually frustrated by our choice. Many people have never been shown how to make prayerful decisions, especially decisions about their career or vocation. When we are unsure what criteria to use in selecting a career, we may look primarily at material factors like compensation, or ultimately make choices based on our instinct or feelings about the possibilities. We may know that there are other factors we should consider, but are unsure what they are. To further confuse the situation, we may also wonder, "Isn't finding my purpose a mysterious spiritual process instead of a logical process? Could it really be a calling if it is something I have decided to do instead something to which God has di...

LivingYour True Purpose While the average lifespan differs for each country, one thing is certain: we have around/more than 20000 days to spend on this planet, days that we can use to make a mark on our society and planet. However, how can you find your true purpose and leave something meaningful for years to come? Here you have a few great ideas that you to keep in mind. Writedown your interests and values A good way to start this process is to write down what interests you the most and then you need to write down your values. You should not rush. Instead, you have to contemplate and understand your beliefs and interests to the best of your capabilities. Thinkabout how you want people to remember you Do you want to be remembered for the great father/mother you were? Or maybe you want be remembered as an entrepreneur? Once you identify this, you will be able to find your true purpose. From here onward, you will have to work as hard as you can to make that purpo...

It is said that angels are real and living among us. The question is: What do you believe? Is it possible that the same person that you passed almost every day on the street corner asking you for a dime or a quarter is an angel? Is it possible that your seventh grade teacher, who always seemed to touch your heart whenever she spoke, is an angel? How about when you were feeling not so good, and when you prayed, you felt something come and touch you gently, was that an angel? In order for God to work between the seen world and the unseen world, angels are the bridge that works between both worlds. In other words, angels are Heavenly beings sent by God to convey His message. This might be a hard fetch for some, but the truth of the matter is, in scriptures, angels are said to be guardians sent by God to watch over the human race, to deliver His message, to guard and protect us from danger, and to do battle with other spiritual beings on our behalf. They are primarily spiritual be...

T aking on the role of being a  mom  means making a lot of sacrifices and changes in your life. Your fancy cars will be traded in for mini-vans or family utility vehicles. Your social lives will go from dinners and cocktails with girlfriends to PTA meetings and soccer games. The most important change of all is realizing that you have lost most of the time you once had to yourself and devoting your daily hours to caring for your family. When you’re a  mom  juggling several tasks daily, one thing that easily goes out the window is your devotion to God; spending time to pray or just talk to Him. The sad thing is, we never wanted to push our relationship with God to the side in view of our families, but somehow this is what happens. So what do you when you feel like you’re pulling away from God and want to rekindle that relationship with Him? Here are a few tips busy moms like you can follow to nurture your spiritual life. Ask for Help     ...

What is moral character? Do we need moral character to live a good and prosperous life? Moral character is a set of qualities that make somebody or something distinctive, especially somebody’s qualities of mind and feeling. It’s innate qualities that make somebody or something interesting, or attractive. When you are seeking to achieve, what you do and say, or how you display your appearance is a great part of your accomplishment. This is your public reputation that is on display to others and it will be judged by others. This will determine your intentions, and how people will judge you. The greatest character of them all is called Attitude. The right attitude will draw the right people to you. Let’s look at an attitude that is poor in spirit. Poor in spirit simply means to realize that nothing you have is more important than achieving your set goal. Knowing this, your attitude should be willing to part with anything you have if it hinders you from receiving. This is why, e...

Of all the occupation, a “Leader” lives with the greatest tensions between being a servant and a leader. Jesus poses a dilemma for us when he says, “whosoever will be great among you let him by your minister, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant’ (Matthew 20:26-27) As we look at this dilemma Jesus posses, this indicates that for one to get further or productive, he/she must first give. Or another way for saying this is, to be a leader you must follow. On one side of the self contradictory statement is our image of a leader, a person with power, having the ability to inspire enthusiasms, interest in others by means of personal influence, and impressive achievement. The trouble begins when we try to reconcile that image with our thoughts about what a servant should be – ready to submit to others, modest and reserved, not praised and honored. Trying as we might, human efforts to combine these qualities into the role of the servant-leader fail us. Acc...

The great thing about life is that we all have natural talents. We only need to discover what they are and use them to the best of our capabilities. When you give time and energy to your natural talents, you will find that you reap extraordinary rewards. Rejoicing in our natural talents should be an easy thing to do. But for countless people, it’s emotionally draining, because a lot of people fight their   giftedness   and natural talents for one reason or another. Perhaps their parents would disapprove of their creative talent to write or create art because they want them to be a prosperous doctor or lawyer. Maybe someone’s talent wouldn’t seem to have the ability to bring the kind of prosperity they aspire to have. At times people are just scared to pursue the purpose that seems to come so easily to them—they think success shouldn’t be easy. These are all justifications. And all the justifications in the world won’t make natural talent go away. It will be there, a burni...

Prevailing in prayer and getting results has been a strong concern for many people throughout generations, and still, in today’s society the struggle continues. Hebrews 4:16 instructs us to “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” . Among Christians, even the most seasoned ministers must face this challenge. The fact is, when we pray we want to get results.                                                                                   If results were not attainable, why bother to pray? Prayer consists of two con...