practical life lessons

Three Ways to Use The Word "Courage"




I was thinking about how driven I am to ENCOURAGE others.  It's something I don't even feel I have a choice in.  It truly is a "Gift" God has given me.  My first reflex or instinct when someone around me is being negative, is depressed, or is hurting, is for me to ENCOURAGE them.  It's not something I sit around contemplating, it just comes natural to me.  I always find myself countering their negativity, depression, or pain with encouragement.  I have a hard time understanding why it seems I am in the minority when it comes to encouraging others.  I listen to what comes out of the mouths of those around me and am amazed.  No wonder there are so many people in therapy.  When people are being weighed down with life's problems, they need someone to come against that and help balance them out.  They need people to ENCOURAGE them to take their focus off the difficuties and give them hope, not do the opposite of ENCOURAGE .  I know what it feels like to ENCOURAGE someone, and I know how to do it, but I don't really know how to define it.  So I looked it up. Here's the definition.  ENCOURAG E: to inspire with courage, confidence, hope or spirit.  This is one way to use the word "COURAGE."



Then I began to think about the people who seem to pride themself on doing the very opposite.  They almost seem to find some kind of perverse pleasure out of being able to DISCOURAGE those around them.  Some have done it so much they are completely unaware they are doing it.  Negativity has poured out of their mouths for so long, they can't even taste it any more.  If only they understood the kind of damage they were inflicting on the people around them, they might think twice about doing it.  It especially breaks my heart when I see an adult DISCOURAGE an innocent child.  Their words can actually cut so deep it can alter that child's future.  When you DISCOURAGE someone, you can change their very purpose in life, if that person never finds the strength to overcome those words.  And many, many, many never find the strength.  Every time you DISCOURAGE someone you are force-feeding poison into their beating heart.  People need to learn how much their words can impact someone's life.  Either in a positive way, or a negative way.  So, I only thought it was fair to look up this word too.  DISCOURAGE:  to deprive of courage, confidence, hope or spirit.  This is one way to use the word "COURAGE . "



These last 14 years, I've learned that God has given me something powerful, and it's able to propel me to victory, in the heat of any battle I fight.  It's the thing that helped me accomplish all that I had to, while staring down the barrel of a "shotgun" loaded with Loss, Sorrow, Grief, and Caregiving. I just never really thought about it in the form of a word before.  I never had a word I could attach to that "thing" that God placed within me. That "thing" that disarmed those loaded "shotguns" that I faced.  I didn't have a word until today.  As I was thinking about the words ENCOURAGE and DISCOURAGE , I noticed they had a common denominator. The one thing these two words had in common was COURAGE .  So, I looked it up like I had the other two words.  COURAGE:   the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, uncertainty, intimidation, etc., without fear.  DING, DING, DING.  A bell started ringing in my head.  The definition of the word COURAGE  described that "thing" that disarmed those loaded "shotguns."  Finally, I knew what to call it, COURAGE .  The word COURAGE is what we inspire others with when we ENCOURAGE them, or deprive them of when we DISCOURAGE them.  To see the definition of what we are inspiring or depriving others of, should really "RING OUR BELL."  This, my friends, is something so important I feel it needs to be repeated... COURAGE: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, uncertainty, intimidation, etc., without fear.   This is one way to use the word "COURAGE."



Until the next time we talk........Stand firm on Philippians 4:13.

Love, Hugs, & Prayers,

~tf