Have you ever found yourself mentally in the dumps, lacking the motivation necessary to rise above feelings of depression, grief, sadness, or disappointment? Or maybe you’ve wrestled with moods that consist of a deep lack of enthusiasm or moments when you’re just not feeling “it,” whatever “it” may be. In essence, I’m referring to those times in which you find yourself in desperate need of encouragement.
Often our natural inclinations will cause us to seek out someone who will provide the encouragement that we so desperately need. That someone might be a friend, loved one, counselor, or spiritual leader who has the gifted ability to lift our spirits. However, what are we to do when we find ourselves in the midst of a mental storm and the ones we rely upon for encouragement are not readily available? My suggestion is that we turn to the MRE.
In the true sense of the term an MRE is the Meal Ready-to-Eat given to soldiers in the United States military during combat. It is a compact meal a soldier can carry on their person when organized food facilities are not available. Thus, when a soldier is feeling famished he or she can quickly and easily turn to the MRE to provide the nourishment he or she is in need of.
Unfortunately, we too are in combat. We are constantly fighting a battle for our minds. Sometimes the battle can become so intense that we need immediate access to an MRE. The MRE I’m referring to isn’t exactly the same as the MRE used by the military but it’s similar. This MRE doesn’t consist of physical nourishment but of mental and spiritual nourishment. The MRE that we need stands for Motivation Ready-to-Encourage.
It is an MRE that contains positive affirmations, uplifting quotes, music designed to elevate or anything else that has the ability to effectively lift your spirits. Yet it must be something that you can draw upon quickly. Whether you have stored this information into the recesses of your mind through memory, carry a cheat sheet with you as a quick reference, or have uploaded inspirational content to your smart phone, it doesn’t matter. The key is simply having immediate access to it.
One of my favorite MRE’s is Fred Hammond’s song “We’re Blessed.” That song has the ability to lift my spirits in an instant. Why? Well it’s simple, it shifts my mind to my blessings and when I start to think about my blessings it’s hard for my mind to focus on negativity. It is truly one of my MREs because it’s been downloaded to my phone, which I carry with me at all times. Thus, it is an instant and readily available source of encouragement.
Whether we are mindful of it or not good is always battling against evil, positivity against negativity, and encouragement against discouragement. True victory begins with the mind and we must actively fight to secure our victory. MRE’s are one of our greatest weapons of success in the battle. So, make sure you have yours and commit to never leaving home without them.
QUESTION
As you reflect upon this concept of Motivation Ready-to-Encourage what types of MREs have you used or will you use in your life? Which have you found to be most effective and why? Please share below and be a source of encouragement to others.
Also, if you’ve found this post helpful and you know someone who can be blessed by this blog please share it. Until next time and remember YOU were created to live an EXTRAORDINARY life!
One of my MRE is my mom. She’s someone I can reach every time I call. She’s a vessel that’s filled with encouragement and who can uplift my spirits at anytime. She exudes a spirit of positivity and faith. She tells me all the time, not to worry. Why worry because ‘my father is rich in houses and lands and he’s got the whole world in his hands’. I’ve seen God in her life time and again and because of that, just hearing her voice changes my mindset and directs my spirit to a spirit of thankfulness and appreciation for everything I have.
Something physical that’s with me is the verse found in Prov 3:5-6 ~ “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding…” Sometimes I sing it as well. It’s an MRE that’s effective because it turns my mind away from looking at my own self and directs it to God. There’s nothing we can do of ourselves, so why not Give it to God because he fully understands and can fix it.
What a Great and timely post. When I find myself in this place, I may do one of the following: Start writing or praying out loud all the things I’m grateful for in my life- family, health, home, God himself! Sometimes I direct my thoughts to who can I reach out to if but to call or send a “smile with a fold” aka a greeting card to hopefully put a smile on someone else’s face! The point is the sooner I get my mind off of “me” and on to something or someone else I’m back on track! Action! Refocus! Works every time.
PS … One more thing I do is look in the mirror and Smile real big!! It’s amazing how that little act can effect your whole body
Love the big smile part!