Encourage Yourself

Have you ever felt like no one in the world understands you? Doe's it seem like no one cares about what you are going through? Do you ever feel like giving up? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this article is for you.

Everyone, from the greatest to the least, experience these sorts of feelings from time to time. Many times however, the only way that we can be encouraged is to encourage ourselves in the Lord!

King David despite winning many victories, had times when all of his allies turned against him. On one occasion, after returning from battle with his mighty men, he discovered that a band of Amalekites had taken the wives, children and property of David and all his mighty men captive while they were away. After crying until he could cry no more, the Bible teaches us that David’s own mighty men turned on him and wanted to stone him to death. They failed to remember what David had done for them; all they could see was that he was to blame for their loss. It was at that time that David “encouraged himself” in the Lord! (I Samuel 30:6)

Perhaps you find yourself in a situation where it seems like all your friends are gone. Maybe you feel as though everyone has forsaken you, and has left you to suffer alone. Maybe someone close to you has betrayed you. You may be facing a financial difficulty that there seems to be no way out of. Maybe the doctors have given you a negative diagnosis. Whatever it is you are going through, I have good news for you today. God cares about you and desires to see you win over the situations of life. Let me challenge you today to “encourage yourself in the Lord.”

Here are some keys for encouraging yourself in the Lord:

Remember your past victories.

Take the time to reflect on some of the past situations that God has enabled you to overcome. Remember the blessings that you have already received. Recall the times when it seemed there was no way out, yet God made a way. Be assured, if God did it once, He will do it again!

Refocus on your life purpose.

By refocusing on what God has called you to do you are able to take your mind off of the situation you find yourself in. By remembering your life purpose you become empowered with a sense of calling and perseverance. Remember that your provision is at the place of your assignment.

Spend time in God’s word.

Spending time in the word of God causes your faith to grow. (Romans 10:17) Faith is the inner image of the finished product. It is seeing things as God says they can be, not as they may be at the moment. (Hebrews 11:1) You become encouraged in the Lord when you see what he has promised you in His word.

Let go of past hurts.

This may be one of the hardest, yet most important, steps to encouraging yourself. You must learn to forgive and forget. We all have excess baggage from past experiences that will weigh us down if not dealt with. The Bible tells us to “lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” (Hebrews 12:1) It also teaches us to forgive in order that we can be forgiven and our prayers be unhindered. (Mark 11:25)

Associate with encouragers.

Author Mike Murdock says, “Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated!” There are some relationships that are toxic to your emotional, physical and spiritual well being. The Bible teaches us “Evil associations corrupts good manners.” (I Corinthians 15:33) Solomon wrote, “Iron sharpens iron.” If you associate with encouragers, you will be encouraged.

Refuse to allow yourself to wallow in self- pity.

Make the decision to “encourage yourself in the Lord!” Determine to adjust your attitude. It is a true statement; “your attitude determines your altitude.

Begin to confess, “I am blessed and highly favored. Everywhere I go goodness and mercy follow me. God always causes me to triumph. This too shall pass. I am more than a conqueror because greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.”

If you will do these things, you will be surprised at how fast you are encouraged!

Reinventing Yourself

Are you unhappy with who you have become? Do you feel stuck in a rut and want to change? Do you believe it is possible to change, or have you bought into the lie that you and who you are and there is nothing you can do about it? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this blog is for you!

It is possible to change the way you are. While change takes time, effort, and may be difficult it is possible. You can become the person you have always wanted to be. You can be happy. You can be fulfilled. You can be successful.

The Bible is clear that it is possible to experience positive change. God has given us His word and His spirit in order that we can experience lasting change.

The word “repent” means to have a change of mind, a change of heart, a change of attitude, resulting in a change of actions, and a change of direction, and a change of results. Repentance is not a one-time event in the life of a Christian. It is an ongoing daily process.

According to psychologist William James “a man can change his life by changing his attitude.” This is simply another way of saying what the Apostle Paul told the Roman church, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:1).

The word “transformation” comes from the Greek word “metamorpheo” from which we get the English word “metamorphosis”. A “metamorphosis” is a total change or “reinventing” of ones self. The common example of this is the change that happens when a caterpillar spins a cacoon and then emerges as a beautiful butterfly. Now that’s transformation!

The following principles will aid you in reinventing yourself:

Choose to change.
While this may sound elementary, you will never change until you make the decision to. Make the quality decision that from this day forward you will begin to be the person you have always dreamed of being. A quality decision is one from which you will not turn away. It is a decision of commitment to change.

Change the way you think.
To reinvent yourself you must change your thought processes. As Zig Zigler says, you must get rid of “stinkin thinkin!” They way you think determines how you act, and how you act determines what you get. Let go of the negative thoughts that have been holding you back. Replace them with the positive things God has to say about you in His word. Determine to think high thoughts. Thoughts of victory and success.

Change your talk.

Get rid of all the negative self-talk. Quit saying what you can’t do and start declaring what you can and will do. Quit putting yourself down. Start believing in yourself, you ideas, and your abilities. Say with the Apostle Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

Discover your divine design.
Understanding your purpose in life is essential to reinventing yourself. You can’t be the person you were meant to be if you don’t know why you are here in the first place. You are not an accident. God has a plan for your life. Here are five questions that will help you discover your divine design:

• What are your natural gifts and talents?
• What excites or stirs you, what is your passion?
• What are your dreams and aspirations?
• What type of personality traits do you possess?
• What are your leadership skills? (Are you a manager, a doer or a visionary?)

The answers to these questions will help you discover your life mission. God will never call you to do something that He hasn’t created you to do. Your life purpose is what gives you direction, responsibility and meaning to life.

The me I see.

I heard Robert Schuller speak on the subject “The me I see is the me I’ll be.” I have never forgotten the message in the title alone. You will never rise above the person you see yourself to be. By changing your thinking, your self-talk, and discovering your divine design, you will begin to see yourself the way God sees you. Begin today to see yourself organized, attractive, diligent, reliable, happy and successful. It is a true statement, “if you can conceive it, you can achieve it!” Solomon wrote, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

Be yourself.
So many people live frustrated, directionless and meaningless lives because they are trying to be someone they aren’t. By trying to be the person someone else wants you to be you short-circuit being the person God made you to be. Don’t allow yourself to be molded by the opinions of others. Refuse to let others try to live their lives through you. You are born an original, don’t die a copy. Your value is in your individuality. It is not in your similarities to others.

Where are you going?
What is it that you have always dreamed of accomplishing in life? In order to reinvent yourself you must have a vision of where you are going and what you intend to accomplish. Highly successful people are goal setters. A Goal is a vision or a dream with a deadline on it. It is something to aim at. As Denis Waitly says, “If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?” Set goals that are in line with your life mission, not someone else’s!

Associate with people you desire to be like.

Your associations have much to do with your success in life. Many times it is imperative that some relationships be severed. Paul the Apostle said, “Evil communications (associations) corrupt good manners.” (I Corinthians 15:33) put an end to relationships that are a negative influence, that belittle you, that drain you of your time and energy.

On the other hand, begin to associate with people that are likeminded as you. Choose to associate with positive, honest, faith-filled people that will inspire you to greatness. Solomon also wrote, “Iron sharpeneth iron.” In other words, you become like the people you associate with. Make the decision to develop relationships with people that are successful in your field of endeavor. Run with winners!

Commit to lasting change.
Reinventing yourself won’t happen overnight. However, it will happen if you stick with it. Personal development, or personal growth, is simply the process if becoming the person you were made to be. To accomplish this you must commit to it. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted, discouraged or defeated.

Ask God to help you.
Prayer gets God involved in your life. Seek Him for guidance, strength, and the ability to change. Believe when you pray that he will not only hear you, but also that you will receive what you are asking for. Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

The road to becoming a “new you” may be long and difficult at times, but if you will stick with it you will make it. As a result, you will become a person of productivity and accomplishment.

Turning Negatives Into Positives

High achievers have the ability to turn negative situations into positive ones. They have the knack when given a lemon to make lemonade. Regardless of how difficult the circumstances are they are able to turn them into stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks.

Life is filled with negatives. They cannot be escaped. Everyone goes through difficulties from time to time. However, those who refuse to be defeated by adversity are the ones that enjoy success in life.

Robert Schuller says, “Tough times never last but tough people do.” A friend of mine says, “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping!” Being tough, in this sense of the word, means not giving up or stopping short of what you are striving to accomplish.

The following suggestions will give you some ideas for turning negatives into positives.

Expect the best.
You get what you expect. This is true both in the positive and the negative. Jesus said, “As your faith is so be it unto you.” Quit expecting the worse. Don’t borrow trouble. Determine to look for and anticipate the best.

Get a different perspective.
Sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees. At times you have to step away from the problem and look at it from a different angle. Ask others close to you what they see. Get their input as to what to do about the current condition. Taking a break from the situation can give you a whole new outlook.

Ask questions.
When writing a story a good investigative reporter always asks Who? What? Why? Where? When? and How? Asking these same questions about your situation gives you great insight not only into the problem you are faced with, but also into what caused it, and how to turn it around.

Failure isn’t final.
It is one thing to fail it is another to see yourself as a failure. Failure is not an event it is an attitude. Just because you have blown it doesn’t mean you’re finished. By not giving up or losing heart you are able to turn your negatives into a positive. I like to look at my times of failure as learning experiences. Every time I try something and fail I have simply discovered something that didn't work. I am constatly seeking to find ways to improve what I am doing. Babe Ruth was the strike out king of baseball. But he never quit swinging. His failure isn't final attitude led him to become the home run king of baseball. So you've failed. Big deal! Get up and keep trying. Success is just around the corner!

Change the way you speak.
According to Solomon, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Your words have power. People that talk failure, struggle and negative situations all the time, experience exactly what they are speaking. Much of what happens to people is the result of self-fulfilling prophecies. Choose to begin to speak positively about your situation. Begin to declare what can be not what can’t be. Jesus taught, “A good man out of the good treasures of his heart brings forth that which is good. An evil man out of the evil treasures of his heart brings forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” What you say has an impact on what you experience.