Faith and Dealing with Discouragement

Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Discouragement: losing hope or confidence , a feeling of being disheartened, dejected, or losing motivation, often due to obstacles, failures, or lack of progress. We don’t like to admit it, but everyone faces discouragement in their lives. It is part of life, but so is victory over it!

Over the years, it caught me in its trap far too long and far too often. The good news is I have learned some hints, tips, and warfare tools that I want to share. Discouragement is an effective tool Satan loves to use against God’s people. He uses it to stop us from moving ahead with God’s purposes. He is happy when he can thwart believers. He uses any tool he can find. Discouragement is often one of those tools.

Sometimes it is so subtle. A small seed of doubt begins to grow and the joy and expectation we had seems to fade. We can still function and fulfill our roles, but it seems harder to do. Failed expectations of ourselves or others often lead to discouragement. It is a natural part of our emotions.

Learning to recognize discouragement it one of the first steps in dealing with it. It used to be hard for me to admit I was discouraged (anything less than perfect you know!) Pride was the root of that. Now, I’ve learned to name it and own it. All people face it, and I had to admit I am part of the human race. Once I identify I am discouraged, I try to figure out exactly where it is coming from. Am I believing a lie from Satan? Did I expect a different outcome from a situation? Uncovering the lie and replacing it with the truth is key to victory. Am I tired and weary? Do I need a snack?

Elijah needed a break and a snack–plus time with an angel speaking truth will help! (Read the story in 1 Kings 19). We may not have an angel delivery system, but we do have the Holy Spirit and His help. Take a break, spend time in prayer–pouring your heart out to Him who never grows tired of listening to His children. Pride makes us feel we can’t come to Him when we are weak, but that is the best time to come to Him. Remember, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many trouble, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. Psalm 34:18-19. NLT. He loves to comfort and encourage us, but we have to come to Him. A crushed spirit is so painful and hard. I’ve walked through feeling crushed and downhearted, but I found His faithfulness. He led me out of those dark days and into His truly marvelous light. During one season, I picked up a journal and wrote out all my pain to Him and kept writing till I found my thoughts changing, from hopelessness to hope. Discouragement tries to steal our joy, our hope and then our faith. But our God promises to be close us during those times. Do not hide from Him.

Another tool David found was worship and music. Technology is my friend for this. Alexa, Google and Spotify are easy for me to turn on and worship fills my home. Suddenly, hope is renewed. As the various worship songs play, heaviness falls off and God’s promises and truths come flooding in. The discouraging situation probably has not changed, but my attitude has. Strength is renewed.

The gift of Godly people are essential during discouraging times. Humbling yourself and asking for prayer from other believers can break discouragement quickly. Giving them the opportunity to speak truth and love into your life can be the very thing you need to keep going. God did not make us to live life alone, find a community. Remember what it says in James? Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them. The key point here, is “let them” call. You can’t expect others to know when you are discouraged and need help–nor can you wait till they see it! There is too much to be done for His kingdom for us to fall for the trap of discouragement. Discouragement longs to undermine our faith and trust in God’s goodness, love and power and put our eyes back on ourselves.

Gratitude for what I do have, or have accomplished, or people who have proven faithful is another tip I’ve learned when facing discouragement. And they defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. Revelation 12: 13. Rehearse what God has already done and all the victories where you overcame discouragement. Sometimes I take a big view of history and think about how God has kept the church throughout so many difficult and struggling times. He is not about to quit. We will face trials and tribulations. Some face persecution. There are believers across the globe who are being persecuted in real time with real consequences right now. It makes our small troubles shrink in comparison. Praying for others can break the cycle of discouragement as you release your faith for them.

If a besetting sin is the source of your discouragement. It has to be dealt with. Repent and turn away from it. Admit it to someone else. Join a support group, whatever it takes. You do not have to carry the weight of un-confessed sin. If you have tried on your own to “get over it”, ask for help. Anger, lust, gossip, lying etc. are just some that often are self justified. My husband struggled with anger issues at the start of our marriage. I could tell the soul toll it took on him every time he had an outburst. He would feel disqualified and discouraged. What a blessing to watch the Holy Spirit help him overcome this learned behavior. He is able, my friends. Do not settle.

Father, I thank you for all the lessons you have taught me in dealing with discouragement. I ask you help us keep growing in these areas. I ask you to strengthen our will to persevere no matter the obstacles we face, because you are so able to finish our race. In Jesus’ Name, amen.