Encourage Your Friends

I have been thinking about all the ways that my friends have used Facebook to encourage me. "Encourage" is defined in the Webster's Dictionary is this way; "to give courage or hope to; make feel more confident. To give help to; aid; promote."

How Important Is Encouragement?

The truth is that everything that can be accomplished by showing a person when he's wrong, ten times as much can be accomplished by showing him where he is right. The reason we don't do it so often is that it's more fun to throw a rock through a window than to put in a pane of glass. ~ Robert T. Allen

Our workaday lives are filled with opportunities to bless others. The power of a single glance or an encouraging smile must never be underestimated. ~ G. Richard Rieger

Here are some of my favorite ways to bless others on Facebook;

1. Always remember birthdays. I love the way Facebook helps me remember my friend's birthdays. It just takes a few seconds to post a birthday greeting on a Facebook page. Little things like this really mean a lot.
2. Respond to prayer requests. If a friend asks for prayers, I try to respond to the request. I then take time immediately to pray for the request. Prayer changes things.
3. Comment on pictures and videos. People love to share their experiences with pictures. I really enjoy keeping up with my far-away friends by viewing picutres. If I don't write a comment, I leave a "Like" on the photos so my friend knows that I viewed them.
4. Answer questions. When a friend asks a question, I try to leave an answer. Facebook now allows people to post Polls to quiz their friends on different subjects. I think this is a fun way for people to express their opinions and preferences.
5. Express sympathy. I found the expressions of sympathy that I received when my dad died very comforting. It means so much just to offer a few simple words of condolence.
6. Celebrate. It is so nice to celebrate births, graduations, new jobs and other happy occasions with friends on Facebook. A happy occasion is multiplied when shared with friends.
7. Having a bad day. When my friends are having a bad day, it is a perfect opportunity to post an encouraging comment.  "Hang in there" or "Things will get better" ~ Positive comments can make things better.
8. Personal messages. I no longer try to keep track of email addresses. It is so easy to send personal messages through Facebook. I have used this feature to send messages to people who are not my Facebook friends as well as friends.

I am sure there are many other ways to encourage friends on Facebook. I am reminded of the following children's verse;

Make new friends,

But keep the old.

One is silver

And the other gold.

How do you use Facebook and other social media sites to encourage your friends? Please post your thoughts in the comments section below.