The Power Of Encouragement

HoneycombImage by justus.thane via Flickr

Pleasant words are...health to the bones
Proverbs 16:24

Everybody needs encouragement. None of us achieves anything without help. The great achievers in history became all that they were because of the people in their lives.

We've seen The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. But did you know that their authors, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, were professors at Oxford University and maintained a close friendship? Every week they'd meet to eat, talk about their fiction-writing endeavours and read passages of their yet unpublished works. It was Tolkien who encouraged Lewis, an avowed atheist, to explore Christianity, ultimately leading to his conversion. And it was Lewis who encouraged Tolkien to continue writing fiction and to seek publication. Were it not for their friendship and mutual encouragement, the world wouldn't have received the finest writing in apologetics of the twentieth century, nor one of the finest fantasy works ever written.

Everyone, young and old, successful and less-than-successful, famous and unknown who receives encouragement is changed by it. Mark Twain said, 'One compliment can keep me going for a whole month.' A word of encouragement from a teacher can change a child's life; a word of encouragement from a spouse can strengthen or even save a marriage; a word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach his or her potential. Zig Ziglar says, 'You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.' The Bible says, 'Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones' (Proverbs 16:24 NKJV).

Used with permission from UCB Word for Today. Free issues are available here for the UK and Republic of Ireland.

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Comments

I thought your "test" post was one of your finest, but then you removed it. :)
duopastorale said…
Ha ha Robert!! I am very impressed. You are quick!! I'm very pleased that it provoked a response LOL
Regina said…
Very true!
In my post"Here"
I quoted this:).
If everyone received the encouragement they need to grow ,
the genius in most everyone would blossom and the world would produce abundance
beyond our wildest dream."
Sidney Madwed

Good that I came by. Wonderful post Mike. Thank you for sharing.
kc bob said…
That was encouraging Mike.. didn't know that about Lewis and Tolkien.
photowannabe said…
I didn't know about Tolkein and Lewis either. We all need encouraging words. They do give power. Thanks for the post and for visiting mine. Its appreciated.
Unknown said…
Thanks for the wonderful post & also thanks for the visit of my blog.

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