No human being will ever dare to stand up and say that He have never been discouraged! Disappointments and discouragements are human. It doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you or that you are out of God’s will for your life (as some may teach and preach). It just shows how human and limited you are!! One of the most dynamic prophet in the bible was Elijah. He was a man of prayer and close friendship with God (Jas 5:17), yet he faced discouragement and fear! (1 Ki 19:3-4) It is absolutely normal to go through discouragements.
Different people get discouraged for different reasons. The reason that I get discouraged will seem absolutely foolish for some of you, while the reason for you being discouraged might not make much sense to me. I write this blog at a time when I myself am very much disappointed at the way a few things turned out. They might not make sense to you, but it did disappoint me. All said and done, discouragements is not healthy! If you brood over them it will drain your mental and spiritual energy, if you ignore them it will spring back at a later unexpected stage causing you more issues.
There is this one verse that repeats itself. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Ps 42:5, Ps 42:11, Ps 43:5) The verse is repeated 3 times over the course of those two psalms. The psalmist is essentially discouraged. But he continually talks to himself and encourages his own self. It is a very good practice to talk to one’s own self and remind yourself about the fact that God is still in control!
Hoping in God is not just a matter of the head, but a matter of the heart. It is that state of the heart where you completely depend, delight and trust in the good, perfect and the pleasing will of God over your own ambitions, choices and decisions. When you go through a difficult time, It is easy to quote Romans 8:28 with the mouth, much difficult to let it make sense in your mind and even more difficult to convince your heart that it is actually true! But as you continue to quote scripture after scriptures to yourself, you speak life into your disappointed soul and drained spirit. As you continue to do that it will slowly sink deep into your heart!
And more often if not all, God puts us through a tough time to test our seriousness in our relationship with him. (Gen 22) And we have all the resources of heaven at our disposal! And the key that opens heavens door is prayer and praise! (Phil 4:6-7) Prayer in a difficult time is a natural response, but praise is equally an important one. As the psalmist says, I shall again praise him! If we have the attitude of praising and thanking God in spite of the circumstances, we will literally be discouraging the discouragements and breaking loose its power over our lives. That’s exactly the reason why the adversity didn’t win over Job! Because he responded immediately with worship!
Am not sure what you are going through at this moment, but let me encourage you to continue to speak God’s word over your life till it starts making sense to your heart and your hope is only in God. And learn to maintain an attitude of worshiping God in spite of everything till your situation changes for good!
What else would you do to discourage your discouragements? Please share below
Keep writing bro 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement, you are!! God bless!!
i needed this today. Thank you,Priji.
You are welcome Benita, May God strengthen you with His unfailing grace!!
Amen….thnks Priji..God bless ya loads 🙂
Welcome Ajo, May the Lord bless you too….
Hey brilliant post!!!!
Blessed by this post; especially ‘learn to maintain an attitude of worshiping God, in spite of everything till ur situation changes for good!
Thanks for sharing Bernadine, How true it is that worship can change our attitude towards life’s situations and change the situations themselves!!
Thank you so much!!!
good post brother.encouraged to discourage the discouragements.
Good post 🙂 I just got reminded of Proverbs 18:21 , which says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Indeed there is no TESTimony without a TEST !
Amen!! God bless you Margaret!
Amen, I agree with you blessy! There is no testimony without a test!!
hey is this an old post ?
jst noticed that you wrote quite well here 🙂 in fact its getting better 🙂 .. keep writing and dont bury this talent of yours.
regards to you
binsu
Thanks so much Binsu! Loved to hear from you. Yes, i wlll keep writing as long as God enables. God bless
hey it ws really a blessing!!
Glad to know Juliet.Remain in God! Don’t let your heart be affected by anything!