In today’s busy economy, where work is running wildly and finding the time to be still is dwindling, the act of encouraging others can often go in the back shadows of our full schedules.

It almost seems radical for people to encourage — when it should be something rather natural for us. However, there is something very profound going on in the era of technology, and that is the art of messages reaching widespread audiences, reaching people you never would have met at your local coffee shop — and therefore, those people having the chance to reach out to you.

Several days ago, I was hitting an all-time low — fretting and impatience had a lot to do with it. But then, in His grace, God quieted my soul with a simple, “Ding!” on my iPhone the moment I began to spew out my concerns from my mouth. Someone had reached out to me in an email, encouraging me directly and telling me to press on.

Her words uplifted my soul — and in the grandest of ways, did everything to my soul God must have intended, because I never did finish worrying, or fretting.

A fellow artist and encourager, Rebekah Haworth, had this to say about the importance of encouraging others and what it has done for her.

“In this crazy life of sin and struggles, if it weren’t for some sisters and brothers in Christ, I probably would have kept wallowing in my own worries.”

It just takes one moment to change our emotions we battle daily; whether that be from stress, worry, depression or even feeling far away from God. The beautiful thing is, you could be that encourager for someone. Miss Haworth shares some ways this is possible.

“Speaking truth into someone’s life with Scripture, reminding them of the eternal reward that we will receive in Heaven, giving them songs that praise God despite troubling circumstances … reminding them of this supernatural amazing connection we have with God, just by praying to Him.”

He brings us immeasurably closer to Him in ways we couldn’t have expected. This is because our God is loving. He is tender. He also desires for us to not worry and stress just as much as we wish we didn’t have to.

Impatience, anxiety and worry can only lead up to the same things they bore from — impatience, anxiety and worry. We can’t expect God to be the God of our lives, if we’re not fully willing to give up our impatience, anxiety and worry into the hands of our Creator.

I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.—Isaiah 45:7

So, what does encouraging one another look like? It looks like an awkward hug in the middle of the living room. It feels like sweaty palms on your back, as you hear prayers whispered in your ears. It tastes like microwaved Chicken Noodle soup, as you lie in bed, while your sister strokes your hair. It sounds like a hundred cheers as you took your first lurch across the finish line, your pink ribbon held fast in your hands. It smells like the pages of your Bible pressed up against your nose.

It’s even in the form of an email from someone you’ve never seen.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. —Proverbs 12:25

Encouraging could make someone’s life change for the better. It just takes one moment, for it to go widespread into their hearts. You could be that person for them. Just like Rebecca encouraged me. Just as Christ is always there for us.

Encouraging brings us closer to each other, closer to the joy of life and closer to the message of Christ. We all know how “Pay It Forward” works, let’s do that with the act of encouraging.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. —1 Thessalonians 5:11