Discouragement is one of our biggest enemies in youth ministry. We try so hard, really give it our all. And yet we face opposition, resistance, and criticism—and not just from ‘enemies’, but also from the people who are supposed to support us. It hurts.

Those are the times we want to quit. Some days it gets so tough to do our job, that we really wonder why on earth we ever wanted to do this. Discouragement can make you question your calling, your gifts, your choices, everything.

I’ve been there. More than once. Want to know what helped me through? My encouragement file.

Every time someone thanks me for something I did in youth ministry, I put it in my encouragement file. It may be a card someone sent me to thank me for taking care of their teens, a text from a student saying she appreciated me talking to her, a comment on Facebook, or something else. When it’s specifically meant for me and it’s encouraging, I will put it in my encouragement file.

I print emails or screenshots if I have to, because I want to have actual, physical encouragements. Sometimes I’ll even write down compliments or thank you’s after a service or another activity.

The file just sits there. But when those days come that I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore, I go through my encouragement file. And then I find notes like one an older student wrote to me after an incident on a youth retreat: “It isn’t always easy or fun being our youth leader, but you always do it with a contagious smile.” I can’t tell you how much this meant to me, and keeps meaning to me, every time I read it.

Creating an encouragement file isn’t about pride. It’s okay to accept compliments. God is the source of our talents and gifts and without His blessing we couldn’t do anything. But that doesn’t mean we should not accept compliments and encouragement. The honor goes to God, but we may rejoice in the fact that He is using us for His glory! And that is worth putting in a file and it’s certainly worth remembering and celebrating.

So, go get a file folder, a manilla envelope, or clear out a desk drawer. Put everything in there that made you feel appreciated, blessed, or encouraged. Write down the nice words folks give you after a service, like compliments on a sermon. Print out emails, tweets, comments—anything that is about you and that confirms your calling. Put it in a drawer and keep adding to it.

When the dark days come, pull it out. Read every card, every mail, every compliment. Thank God for all He has done through you. Bless the author of every encouragement, because God is using them to lift you up. And then, with a renewed heart and your calling affirmed, get back to work.