Take a minute and look around you. Look closely at the faces of people and you will see in some eyes a desperate longing for understanding and a deep need for a few words of encouragement. If nothing else, just a quick word, a pat on the back, or a smile can make the greatest difference in their day.Listen to these words from Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down but a good word makes it glad.” Let’s be quick to offer that good word to the lonely, hurting people we meet.

William Barclay once said, “One of the highest human duties is the duty of encouragement . . . It is easy to laugh at man’s ideals. It is easy to pour cold water on enthusiasm. It is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.”

How true this is! Be an encourager today and see the effect you can have on your world.

This is Andrew Palau.