The Things No One Tells You About Encouraging Yourself

The Things No One Tells You About Encouraging Yourself

Have you ever planned to share a message only to realize you needed to hear it yourself first?

That happened to me recently.

I had every intention of recording this message before work, but life got busy and I never had the chance. By the end of the day, after a long and exhausting day at work, I found myself sitting alone in my office needing encouragement.

There wasn’t anyone there to remind me everything would be okay.

There wasn’t someone sitting beside me to help carry the weight of the day.

So I did something I’ve learned to do over the years.

I closed my office door.

I turned on my praise and worship music.

And I spent a few quiet moments with God.

As I sat there, I couldn’t help but think, God has a way of giving us confirmation. The very message I had planned to share that morning became the message I needed to live that afternoon.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that sometimes we have to learn how to encourage ourselves.

That doesn’t mean we don’t need other people. We all need family, friends, and a community that loves us. But the reality is that they won’t always be available when we need them most.

Sometimes they’re working.

Sometimes they’re asleep.

Sometimes they’re carrying burdens of their own.

Those moments don’t mean we’re alone. They simply remind us that we need something we can reach for when life feels overwhelming.

For me, that’s often praise and worship music.

There are songs that remind me God is still faithful, even when my circumstances haven’t changed.

For someone else, it may be reading Scripture, spending time in prayer, writing in a journal, taking a walk, or simply sitting quietly with God.

The important thing isn’t what encourages you.

The important thing is that you already know where you’ll turn before the difficult days come.

I’ve learned not to wait until I’m overwhelmed to decide what will encourage my heart.

When the hard days come—and they will—I already know what I can reach for.

That’s not because I never struggle.

It’s because I’ve learned to prepare my heart before I need it.

Maybe today is one of those difficult days for you.

If it is, I want to encourage you to spend a few moments with God. Put on a worship song. Open your Bible. Read a devotional. Step outside for a walk. Journal your thoughts. Whatever helps draw your heart back to hope, don’t hesitate to reach for it.

You don’t have to pretend to be strong every moment of every day.

Sometimes strength looks like closing the door, taking a deep breath, and allowing God to remind you that you’re not walking through this alone.

What helps you encourage yourself when you’re having a difficult day? I’d love for you to share in the comments. Your story may encourage someone else who needs hope today.

A new normal is not the end of our story. It is simply the place where the next chapter begins.