Supporting and Encouraging

Recently I went to softball and baseball games for my high school students.  It had been a long time since I had seen my students play their sports and do their activities.  I realized that this is something that I had greatly missed from before social distancing and Quarantine.  I realized that one thing that gives me a great amount of joy and happiness is getting the chance to watch, and therefore, support my students.  

This made me realize the importance of supporting and encouraging the people that I love in life.  There are many benefits to choosing to be supportive and encouraging of the people around.  We never know how much it could mean to someone when we are there to support or encourage someone else.  The verse that sticks out to me the most when discussing supporting and encouraging one another is Philippians 2:4, “Not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of others.”  This reminds me that when we do things, make decisions, or work on anything, we need to think about how to best help and serve others, not just solely ourselves.  

I am not the biggest sports fan.  I like them a lot, and I do like going to the events.  However, basketball, football, baseball are not my all time favorite things.  But these are my student’s favorite things and because they are their favorite things, I want to show my support to them in the activities that they love.  I then am not looking to my own interests but the interests of others. 

I can remember what this was like when I was a student.  When I was in college, I was a part of the women’s chorus on campus.  I remember that it would mean so much to me when people would come to watch me in my concerts.  The two of my closest professors watched me in one concert, and it was the concert I had a solo in.  It was so exciting to share that part of myself with the best teachers I had at the time.  I felt supported.

I can think of just one example of when one student asked me to go to a show happening at the school.  I didn’t think that I would be able to make it because I had Bible Study that evening.  However, I decided not to go to Bible Study in order to make it to the show that would only happen once a year.  I figured it was a one time deal, and I had better make sure that I get to the show.  It was a great variety show, and I got to see my students perform acts that they had worked so hard on.  When the student saw me when the show was over, his whole face lit up.  He was really excited that I was there, and I had seen his solos.  I also know that he did tell his directors that he was so very happy that I was there.  I was very honored to be a supporter and someone that could be there for him.  At the time I had to spend some time thinking about his interests as opposed to just what I had wanted to do.  

Encouraging is very similar to supporting but it is also making sure that those who you are supporting are mentally and emotionally being taken care of.   There are times that people need more than support.  There are times that encouragement needs to be given to make people feel as though they can keep going.  Life can be really hard and stressful, and it often feels as though there is only negativity.  It is very important to try to show people the opposite with positivity and kindness.  This is another Godly thing that we can do as there is a verse all about encouraging one another.  This is 1 Thessalonians 5:11,“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

It can be hard sometimes to encourage one another.  It is a very simple thing to do, to notice a characteristic in someone and to bring it out or to say that they are doing a good job in order for them to keep up the good spirits and continue on.  Yet it seems that we are always too busy doing our own thing that we forget to really notice someone else’s work. 

In conclusion, love does not need to be a complicated thing at all. It can be done by simply supporting someone in what they do or by showing encouragement.  This can go a long way.  It doesn’t always need to be a grand gesture or a self-sacrificing action.  It can also be a kind word or comment.  Half of this love is showing up and being there.  I challenge everyone to find someone who you can support and encourage this week.