Discourager
It’s that time of year again. We all do the same thing. We submit in our minds or on paper or tell our friends our New Year resolutions.
- Exercise more.
- Lose weight.
- Get organized.
- Learn a new skill or hobby.
- Live life to the fullest.
- Save more money / spend less money.
- Spend more time with family and friends
I’ve been making many of these same resolutions each year ever since I can remember! I don’t do so well at it all but I try each year nonetheless. And so do many of my co-workers and friends.
What is your reaction at work when a co-worker talks about their resolutions and their progress/no progress? Or when you run into a co-worker who says they never do resolutions anymore and starts to bad talk it all from the get go?
I admit that most of the time I don’t want to hear about everyone else’s resolutions. I’m trying to work on my own, why do I want to hear about yours? Plus, by the time we are in day 6 or 7 people are starting to give up (including me). Monday will be an interesting day to see how many people walk around the office discouraged and talk about how they have failed at what they said they were going to do.
A Real Christian Businessman takes this as an opportunity to be an encourager instead of a discourager! It’s so easy to blow them off and say ‘yeah, me too, I think New Year resolutions are lame!’ and jump on the negative bad talk bandwagon. Instead, we can put a slightly different twist on it all and still be understanding about not achieving their (and my) goals but being positive about it all the while.
“ Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Prov 12:25 ESV
So let’s encourage!
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” Chron 15:7 (NIV)