The story is told of two men who shared the same hospital room. One of them faced the only window in the room and would describe in great detail the things that he saw to the man in the bed beside him, who was unable to sit up and gain a view of life outside the hospital.

The man with the view told the other of beautiful things going on outside:

Amazing views of a park with a beautiful lake could be seen from the window of their room. Children delightfully played among ducks and swans. Couples walked arm in arm among colorful flowers. Also the stunning city skyline could be seen.

When the man by the window had been thoroughly describing all that was happenning outside the window, his roommate would close his eyes and imagine all the beautiful scenes of life that were told to him.

One morning the man whose bed was near the window died peacefully in his sleep. His roommate was very sad.

After some time had passed, he asked the nurse to move his bed beside the window. With great effort, he lifted himself up to look out the window and was stunned. There was nothing but a brick wall outside.

Flustered, he asked the nurse, “I don’t understand. Why would he lie to me?” The nurse answered, “Didn’t you know? He was blind and couldn’t see the wall. Maybe he described such wonderful things because they were visions in his mind and he wanted to encourage you?”

The man laid back on his bed and let out a sigh as he softly said, “Yes, that he did.” Then he whispered to himself, “Thank you for sharing your wonderful world, my friend.”

We All Need Encouragement

Hebrews 3:13 says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Sin, pain, and the wear and tear of life make us susceptible to becoming discouraged and hardened. So, how can we encourage those around us?

Here are just a few practical ideas:

1. When you ask, “How are you doing?,” Be Ready to Really Listen. Our culture teaches us to say “fine” whether we are or not. We aren’t meant to probe every person we greet for a deeper answer,  but we can ask God’s Spirit to make us open and aware of those who need encouragement around us.

2. Look Up and Smile – it’s so simple. A smile usually reciprocates a smile and smiling is proven to lift people’s spirits (even strangers passing by us). This simple kind gesture can have a bigger impact than we realize.

3. Speak to the Heart – Fit the encouragement to meet that person in their specific situation. If a friend is discouraged about being unemployed, telling them they look pretty in that outfit probably isn’t gonna do much for them.

4. Pray for People – Where you know people need encouragement, pray for them to be strengthened and ask God to show you practical ways to encourage them. Often, when my family and I have prayed for people who are discouraged, The Lord will lead us to write them letters or invite them over for dinner.

5. Speak God’s Word – Our words are limited in their power to encourage but God’s promises are not. Sharing a passage of Scripture that is relevant to someone’s situation or need can give them a rock to stand on that will not fail.

5. Be Constant – lots of people come in and out of our lives. You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be a constant and loyal companion to a few. There are a handful of people who I call when I am deeply discouraged and I know that no matter what happens or how I feel in that moment, they are going to stand with me and hold up my arms when I feel deflated.

Who do you know today who could use encouragement? Probably anyone around you! Make a point today to choose to be an encourager and as you do, you will find yourself becoming encouraged too!