What it boiled down to is this: those who give encouragement will receive encouragement. This encouragement not only applies to our inner circle of relationships (family, close friends, significant others) but also to other people we encounter, whether that be people in our classes or your waiter at a restaurant or the barista at Starbucks. I began to think about how great it feels to be encouraged but how little encouragement I dole out. Then I began thinking about people who just exude infectious joy (we all know people like this, right?) and realized how encouraging and generous those people are! I have always aspired to be one of those people whose joy is infectious, but I never knew how to attain that joyful attitude. Now I think it begins with encouraging others.
The "homework assignment" from the sermon today was to keep tabs on the ratio of encouragement to criticism in your conversations and to stop making critical statements, which forces you to look for great things to say to encourage people. I started to think, "Oh, that's simple!" but quickly realized in conversation right after I got out of church that this assignment is far easier said than done. You have to be very intentional about watching what you say and making positive, encouraging statements instead of negative ones. But this week, I'm challenging myself and will be attempting to cut out negative, critical talk (and as someone who is critical of myself, that applies to negativity toward others as well as myself!), even in the midst of a crazy, stressful school week. Encouragement is so easy to give and means so much.
I realize now that I never feel joyful after conversations in which me or other people are being negative. So why engage in these negative conversations when we can bring joy and encouragement to one another instead? And beyond encouragement from conversation, there are also such easy ways to encourage people through action. Just writing a note of encouragement to a friend who's stressed out or even just because they deserve some encouragement makes an impact.
After reflecting on encouragement and the joy that will bring to my life, I think about other ways that I could work toward a more joyful attitude. I realized that for me, achieving this infectious joy is all about being intentional, just as being an encourager is.
One of the very first Bible verses I ever memorized was Proverbs 17:22, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." I think I've had this verse memorized since I could talk, but I'm just now realizing the true value of a joyful heart! So what areas of life can I be more intentional in to be more joyful?
- Spending time in the Bible and reflecting on God's Word - the Maggie who is actively engaged in the Bible and the Maggie who lets quiet time and reflection fall by the wayside are so vastly different. When I've been not only reading but engaging in the Word of God, it's evident in the way I speak, the way I act, and my attitude!
- Spending intentional time with people - Everyone in college gets incredibly busy with school and work and activities, and I think sometimes we tend to use this as an excuse to avoid spending real, quality time with people. But I find that I'm most joyful when I'm setting time aside to hang out with friends over coffee or a meal and just talk about life. When you're intentionally doing life with people, happiness comes out of that. I think most of us who have ever been to a Christian wedding have probably heard the "Two are better than one..." passage of scripture from Ecclesiastes 4. We were made for community! I've realized, now that I'm not living in a dorm or sorority housing where I was constantly around people, that relationships have to be intentional, and that is definitely something I am working on.
- I'm always happiest when I'm living for God's glory. Obviously, I'm a sinner, as we all are, so I definitely know that I'm not a constant example of a model Christian. But in my RUF community group last week, we talked about looking at our decisions and paying special attention to if the way we as Christians live distracts from Jesus (we were discussing this because Justin Clement, the RUF pastor at UGA, preached a sermon over the third commandment - taking the Lord's name in vain - and "wearing God's name tag" with flippancy, which can be heard here), and I've started thinking about the conscious decisions I make that don't always reflect Jesus. It's kind of hard for me to wrap my head around, because, how can we, as inherently sinful people, live in a way that doesn't at least somewhat distract from the cross? We'll never be completely sinless, but we can try our best to reflect Christ in what we do. I know that when I try to live for the Lord, who is so much bigger and so much greater than I am and uses me in such amazing ways when I'm living for Him rather than living for my own selfish desires, I am filled with so much joy.
