A word of encouragement thread?

[razzelflabben]

Today I find myself at a very low place, I need a word of encouragement. When I have tried this before, it didn't take but a couple of posts for the judgments and accusations to star, soon it became an argument. I found another encouraging thread, but it was general not specific, sometimes we need to feel like individuals in a see of people. Sometimes we need a word of encouragement to keep going. Sometimes we might even feel desperate to know that we are okay. Why isn't there a place here, or is there and I missed it, where we can go for a simple word of encouragement. Edit: sometimes it is important to be reminded that we are not the people the world sees, but rather the people God sees.

[Kristen.NewCreation]

Today I find myself at a very low place, I need a word of encouragement. When I have tried this before, it didn't take but a couple of posts for the judgments and accusations to star, soon it became an argument. I found another encouraging thread, but it was general not specific, sometimes we need to feel like individuals in a see of people. Sometimes we need a word of encouragement to keep going. Sometimes we might even feel desperate to know that we are okay. Why isn't there a place here, or is there and I missed it, where we can go for a simple word of encouragement. Edit: sometimes it is important to be reminded that we are not the people the world sees, but rather the people God sees.
Are you suggesting a whole folder, or just a thread?

[razzelflabben]

Whatever it takes, what I find is that when people seek encouragement one of two things prevails
1. judgment of the situation the person is in, whether or not it is their doing.
2. a see of one size fits all encouraging words. and though this has a place, sometimes we need to feel like individuals, as God deals with us as individuals, His word should as well.

When I look out at the sea of faces that find their way into my life, I see many of them in pain and the people of God who have been sent to love them, to bind their wounds, to support and encourage, do just the opposite, instead of strengthening the body, the body is fragmented and scattered and this should not be. Take this weekend for example, I didn't get your encouraging word in time to deal with an extremely stressful weekend, however, God knew I would need the strength to get through the day. And so I can here seeking that word that would strengthen and lift my up. I faced the day alone, when God's command to the body is to love. I was vulnerable to attack and destruction. Oh well, now I am preaching and I didn't want to do that and so I shall close my "mouth" now. All I seek, is a safe place for hurting people not to receive advice or one size fits all answers, not judgment or critisism but rather a place where we can remind each other the words of Chrsit when He said the the hurting, blessed are...........when he said to the wounded, rise up.................when He said to those who felt abandoned, look up........................................why is that such a hard thing for the people of God? (retorical question more than anything) Why can't we have a place here that is safe for the hurting?

[Angeldove97]

These types of threads are scattered around the whole site--- if you need encouragement please post it in an area and I'm sure people will uplift you in prayer and kind words. My suggestion is also to tell them that you do not wish to have condemnation, but you need a shoulder to lean on, a hand to hold, and some kind words that other people know what it's like to go through the same situation. If you give them a heads up of what you're looking for, people will usually be kind and respond in that fashion.

My suggestions would to be to post in any of our Congregational forums or the Friendship Court forum. We also have a Prayer Team forum where you can go to ask for prayer and support.

There are many places this can happen--- even reading some devotionals can be very uplifting to the soul and provide the encouragement we need, so check that out too: Daily Devotionals (http://christianforums.com/devotionals)

I hope this helps some! :)

[ProfessorMom]

Angeldove97 has some great suggestions. I've seen posts seeking encouragement in many of our forums. Besides the ones suggested above you can also post here:
http://christianforums.com/f912-repaholics-sub-forum.html

[razzelflabben]

My concern is the lack of control over judgments on a thread where encouragement as specified and it was specified that judgment was not part of the thread. Maybe things have changed, I don't know but in the past when I asked for only encouraging words for people who I knew were struggling with the same issues, instead of encouragement, judgment ruled and there was no accountability given to those people who were judging.

[ProfessorMom]

If you title a thread: Encouragement Needed....
and then in your opening post ask that only encouraging posts be made that should be a help.

[razzelflabben]

Whether you all believe me or not is irrelavent, I started a thread once in which the title specified encouragement, the OP further defined it as a thread of encouragement for people who daily struggle in life and I was greeted early on with judgment rather than encouraging words. I think there should be a way to control this, is the only point I was trying to make. People who need encouraged don't need to be judged instead, and that is totally against scripture to boot. If I am the only person who this has happened to, then all I can say is wow I must be special, but if on the other hand, my suspicion is correct, and I am one of many, then the issue should be addressed and a place set up where people can encourage one another without all the judgments that persist.

[ProfessorMom]

In what forum did you make that thread? I'm asking in order to better understand what you've sadly experienced and why that happened to you.