This year, I have struggled with so many discouragements. I just felt like things were not getting any better. I got impatient and I had this feeling of trying to do things on my own – to help the Lord do what needed to be done. It seemed that during this period of my life, everything turned to discouragements and disappointments. It seemed that I lost enthusiasm to do things and just wanted to curl on my bed. I was only going through the motion. If I could just go away from what’s hunting me, I would have done that. Yet thank God. Despite all of those bad emotions, God never got tired of teaching me His ways. In His patience, He taught me things when I became short-sighted. I knew, it was not His obligation to show what He was doing and it was not His responsibility to answer every “why” that I had. Nonetheless, because of His love and mercy, He lets me see the benefits of going through discouragements. As I was praying to God, He consistently showing me that what I was experiencing was not to tear me down but to build me up if I learn to respond accordingly. The verse “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance” (Psalm 42:5). My countenance may look calm, but deep inside, my soul was raging. And this verse comforted me.
Maybe today, you are going through a tough time of discouragement. You look around and never see anything good. Perhaps, you are experiencing failure in your relationship. Maybe you got a news from your doctor that you are not in good shape. Possibly, you are having financial difficulty. If I can encourage you today as a sister, that would be to think with a heavenly perspective. It is so hard to be encouraged while looking around. So, just look up.
Whenever I find myself in a seemingly difficult situation, the story of Joseph always reminds me of how I should look beyond my situation. Maybe we are saying that, “wow Joseph became well-known and successful. What a great story!” Yet we fail to see his tears and pain as he went through betrayal, oblivion, and suffering. Nevertheless, in the end, he recognized that it was all the plan of God. For me, that was the most amazing part.
How then, can we turn our discouragement into encouragement?
Look to Jesus. My favorite go-to verse in the Bible when I feel discouraged is 1 Samuel 30:6,
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
What else can be better than to look to Jesus – our joy and the anchor of our Salvation? People can discourage us. Happenings and circumstances can weigh us down. But looking to Jesus will lift our soul out of distress. When David could not find encouragement in that situation where he was into, he ran to Jesus and encouraged Himself in His Lord. Likewise, our God is able to make us joyful amidst disappointments and discouragement. “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).
Focus on things or activities that will encourage you. Of course, spending time with God is the best way to revive our soul. Also, look for things that we can do to challenge our soul instead of wallowing in despair. We can fellowship with the brethren; we can minister to those who are hurting and discouraged. Maybe we can read good books, listen to uplifting music (hymnal and gospel songs are the best), or perhaps learn a new skill that can help the ministry.
One thing we need to keep in mind is that, when we are discouraged, Satan uses our idle mind to inflict lies. So, we need to counter it through preoccupation of godly things.
There is so much more that you can do during the season of discouragement.
Choose your companion during this season. Although, many times, we can’t choose our situation, we can choose people who can help us go through our discouragement. People whom we go with can greatly impact our way. Choose people who will encourage us to overcome our despair and not to put weights on our shoulders even more. Choose people whose words can soothe our aching soul, and not those people who tear us down with their words. I think in this area, we have control over it. I believe that God gives us wisdom in choosing those people who can help us grow more as we are going through this difficult time.
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
Being encouraged in moments of discouragement is a choice that we have to make. Are we going to let ourselves wallow in despair, or rise up and stand against the norm because it is what God wants us to do?
“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24
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