Encourage Yourself!

I've been told numerous times "encourage yourself". I really didn't like when people told me that...it felt unnecessary. I felt encouragement should come from my family and friends...other people! I thought it was weird to bring yourself up, when you're feeling down. Now this is when I was younger, so I was a bit more naive. I had a hard time comprehending the idea of "encouraging yourself".

What I came to realize is that I was being selfish and having a pity party. I wanted attention and people to do for me what I had the ability to do myself. God always has equipped me with what I needed to be better spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Back then I just had stop focusing on myself and the negative. I was acting hopeless. It was wrong of me. So I prayed and worked on not relying so much on others to bring me up. I read the Word more, listened to encouraging songs, and/or pour myself more into my gifts/talents to cope with whatever situation that was affecting me.
Over time, I was able to get out of being so discourage faster and even when I still went to my fam and friends, it was easier to deal with things.

*I'm not saying don't go to your family and friends for encouragement, but sometimes people don't want to even try to help themselves at all. They become stuck and bitter and never learn to get "out of a funk" on their own. Sometimes it is just God and you making it through!

God doesn't want you/us to make excuses. There's His Word, His Son, the Holy Spirit, and plenty other things that can help "encourage yourself". It can seem hard as satan would have us think, which does make that battle of discouraging or depressions difficult to fight against.

Like in an earlier blog I wrote...it's all about perspective. We have to change the way we view our circumstances. We have to choose not to be controlled by our emotions and not get stuck in a comfort zone of hurt, pain, sorrow, and discouragement. You don't have to stay discourage if you are. You can be happy, content, collected, and optimistic. For you to remain down and in a state of worry and stress is wrong...it's not healthy.

God is calling you to be strong and trust in Him for what you need. Whatever has you down, remember that through Him, you can be lifted back up. Show the world there is hope in your life. Show those around you that when times get tough, don't go as planned, and get out of control, that you're able to...

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF!