If there is a common hurdle that Christians have to face time and time again, that is discouragement. You can ask anyone, be it a Pastor, a Church Worker or even the person you’d sit next to during Sunday Morning Services, in one way or another they have been hit with discouragement. As common as it is, discouragement can have a profound and costly impact on anyone. So what do we do when it hits? Let me point out a few important factors about discouragement so we have God-given resources on what to do the next time it comes knocking.
IT IS NOTHING NEW
From what Moses went through in the Sinai to David’s situation during Absalom’s rebellion, this is a struggle as old as history itself. And as mentioned earlier, there is an underlying importance in realizing that there is no one who is exempted from being discouraged. How is this a significant realization?
The knowledge that we don’t have to face struggles alone strengthens our connection with others. Through this connection we are able to not just sympathize but empathize with what our brethren may be going through as a result of discouragement. *We get to become Christ’s instruments and fulfill His law by carrying each other’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2)
IT IS SOMETHING TO BE FOUGHT
As common as it is, it gives us no reason to be complacent when dealing with it. Discouragement is not a place where we want to wallow in. Nor is it something that should be tolerated. Allowing ourselves to linger in discouragement is costly. It brings about a sense of defeat and hopelessness that saps us of our strength, killing the vision God has given us and keeps us from what we need to do. And the worst part is, discouragement is contagious and can become a catalyst for others to weaken in faith. Thankfully, The Lord gives us the power and peace to confront it so we may fight back.
God doesn’t want us to be discouraged. He knows that we will be tempted to give in to the fear that comes with discouragement which is why He commands us to *Not let our hearts be troubled and to believe in Him. (John 14:1). Let us continue to believe in HIM and- instead of letting our hearts be ruled by what we see, let it be ruled by God’s promises.
IT SHRINKS IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR FAITH IN CHRIST
The first thing discouragement does is choke our faith in God. In a physical sense, choking is an emergency situation where we need to fight for our life. When you’re physically choking, the worst thing one can do is attempt to ignore it and then divert the situation by searching for the next series or movie to watch on Netflix.
Nor does it help to just start a pity party on social media. When you can’t breathe, you seek out help. Get immediate medical attention and someone to give you CPR. Thankfully every time we cry out, “God, I can’t breathe! I need you!”, He is and will always be there to give us the ‘Heimlich’ of encouragement to dislodge whatever obstruction may be blocking our spiritual airway.
When discouragement hits – do these: recognize its reality, acknowledge your helplessness, resolve to put on the “full armor of God” (Eph. 6:10ff) and decide to stand up and fight. God’s encouraging presence dispels all fear. Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. The same guy put together these words “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope”. (Romans 15:4 KJV)
This is the hope that we hang on to especially in these times where it may seem that there is a surplus of discouragement all around. Times are tough for sure, but nothing is tougher than God’s promises to His people. On that we can be encouraged of.
