Menu
  • Home
  • Daily Devotions
  • The Podcast
  • Meet (in)courage
    • About Us
    • Our History
    • Meet the Contributors
    • Meet the Staff
  • Bible Studies
  • Library
  • Shop
  • Guest Submissions
  • DaySpring
  • Mary & Martha
  • Privacy
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
(in)courage - Logo (in)courage

(in)courage

  • blog
  • By TopicTopics
  • Choose an AuthorAuthors
  • Aliza Latta
  • Anjuli Paschall
  • Anna E. Rendell
  • Barb Roose
  • Becky Keife
  • Bonnie Gray
  • Dawn Camp
  • Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young
  • Michelle Ami Reyes
  • Grace P. Cho
  • Holley Gerth
  • (in)courage
  • Jami Nato
  • Jennifer Dukes Lee
  • Jennifer Schmidt
  • Kaitlyn Bouchillon
  • Karina Allen
  • Kathi Lipp
  • Kayla Craig
  • K.J. Ramsey
  • Kristen Strong
  • Lucretia Berry
  • Mary Carver
  • Melissa Zaldivar
  • Michele Cushatt
  • Rachel Marie Kang
  • Robin Dance
  • Simi John
  • Stephanie Bryant
  • Tasha Jun
  • Courage
  • Diversity
  • Encouragement
  • Friendship
Share
Encouragement

Words for the Weary

by Renee Swope  •   Aug 26, 2014  •   172 Comments  •  
1
Shares
Download
Share

2594674127_c8c31a3bf9_o

They met while Jill  was coaching Leanne’s 13-year-old daughter, Shelby, on a junior high basketball team. Years later, when Shelby was in high school she got seriously injured, and Jill reached out to her with encouragement, prayers and notes filled with words Shelby needed to hear.

One day Leanne sat down and wrote a letter to Jill, thanking her for the difference she was making in her daughter’s life. She described qualities of a great coach, and how she saw those in Jill, calling her a “bright light” that shined in many lives, including theirs.

What Leanne didn’t know is that months later Jill would go home one night to an empty apartment feeling bombarded by feelings of despair,  paralyzing self-doubts and a deep questioning of her purpose in life.

Battling clinical depression and living under the weight of feeling worthless, Jill contemplated suicide.

But that night as Jill pondered her fate, she opened her journal to write in it and a piece of paper fell out. Opening the note, she read Leanne’s words again. Words that reminded her how much she mattered.  Words that convinced her she had a purpose and a life worth living. 

The course of a life can be changed forever by words of encouragement. 

Perhaps there are words of encouragement you need to hear today. Words to remind your heart that you matter; words that whisper the powerful promises of God’s heart toward you:

  • “…you are a chosen [woman], a royal priesthood, a holy [daughter], God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
  • “Do not fear, for [He has] redeemed you; [He has] summoned you by name; you are [His].” Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)
  • “For [you] are God’s masterpiece. He has created [you] anew in Christ Jesus, so [you] can do the good things He planned for [you] long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
  • “In all these things [you] are more than [a] conqueror through Him who loved [you].” Romans 8:37 (NIV)

Oh that we would read and believe these words, and let them encourage those weary places in our hearts, our minds and our souls that need to be reminded we are loved; our lives  really do matter. And then, let’s  take these words and give some away. Because maybe, just maybe, these are the very words someone’s weary heart needs to hear today.

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. Isaiah 50:4 (NIV)

Can you think of a friend, co-worker or someone in your family you could encourage with a note, a text, an email or phone call sharing just a few words to let them know how much they mean to you?

Let’s do this thing together. Share a  name and what you’d tell them in a sentence or two- in the comments. Or if you’re in a hurry… simply share their first name and say “I’m in!” – then be sure to schedule a time to follow through this week.

{Photo by motumboe}
Leave a Comment
Download
Subscribe to daily words
of courage & hope.
Thank You

Your first email is on the way.

* PLEASE ENTER A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS

Primary Sidebar

Sorry, there was a problem.

Twitter returned the following error message:

To protect our users from spam and other malicious activity, this account is temporarily locked. Please log in to https://twitter.com to unlock your account.