“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.”
Psalms 42:5, 8 NLT
One of the most common afflictions we can suffer in our lives is discouragement. Once we understand the possible reasons for discouragement, we can begin to deal with it effectively. I think there are four root causes.
1. Fatigue: we burn our candles at both ends long enough, we get tired. Not just physically but mentally and spiritually. We need to understand the benefit of rest in our lives and the healing such rest can bring us.
2. Frustrations: when we have to endure obstacles that we never planned on, we run out our strength and wisdom . It is vital that we turn our focus off the problems and on it to the problem solver- Jesus. We find peace and joy in his presence!
3. Perception of failure: we often believe we have failed when in fact we are on the verge of great accomplishments. Don’t believe the lies of the enemy that you are a failure for you are so much more in the eyes of our Lord. Praise him!
4. Fear: we allow worry and fear to gain a foothold in our lives and that nullifies the blessings intended for us. Fear is a tool to destroy faith and love given through our Lord. Give it no place in your life!
When we not only understand who we are in Christ, but act on that truth, we will overcome discouragement. Certainly it will take effort and faith, but the promises of God are more than worth such effort. Our hope is in God, let us praise him in the tough times.
In Christ
RJ