Life can be hard at times and sometimes the circumstances we find ourselves in can cause us to become discouraged. There are peaks and valleys in life and sometimes you find yourself in the valley “death valley”. Due to a lot of different reasons many Christians find themselves discouraged.
Spiritual low self esteem, feeling that our life doesn’t make a difference, finding ourselves very busy with little to show for it. These are a few reasons that set us up for discouragement.
I heard Robert Emmitt say in his message to the church leaders during our annual meeting that the biggest reason pastors quit the ministry is not the mishandling of money or even sexual misconduct but discouragement.
There is a fable that the devil decided once to have an auction. He decided to go out of business and sell his tools. The auction day came and a great crowd of people gathered. He placed all his tools on a red plush mat. The tools were envy, jealousy, greed, vengeance, resentment and hatred- all of them. Off to the side he had a silver wedge. Someone asked him what it was and he said, that’s a silver wedge. See how bright and shiny it is? I use it all the time. It is the best tool I have. I put it over there because it is the most valuable. It is worth more than all the other tools put together. They asked how do you use it? Satan answered “that’s the wedge of discouragement". You take the finest Christian, one who has received Jesus Christ into his life and who is trying to serve Him, and drive the wedge of discouragement into his Christian work and wreck his usefulness. I can drive that wedge in and pry open a door, and all the rest of my cohorts can go in. I can breakdown that life down with discouragement.
As a pastor what concerns me most about God’s people is that having been in the Lord for 3, 4,5 years many have lost their song. There is no fire, excitement, no joy , no hope, they are not using their gifts to the fullest, they are discouraged and defeated.
If we are going to have growing Christian lives, growing churches and growing ministries, if we are going to win the world to Christ we have to realize it will not be done with disheartened, defeated Christian’s. We must recapture our enthusiasm. We must sing a new song.
2 Timothy 1:6 says “Stir up the gift of God which is within you”. The word “stir” in the original language means to “fan again the flames”. The picture is a fire that once burned bright, has gone out. But underneath the dull gray ashes there are still some hot coals capable of bursting into flames again if they were just stirred up, if they were fanned.
If discouragement has set into your life here are some things to remember and consider.
1. Remember the laws of God- The law of the harvest teaches us “not to grow weary in well doing because in due season we will reap if we faint not” Gal 6:9.
2. Remember the Promises of God- The blessing of God come to the obedient but we must stay faithful and engaged.
3. Remember the Love of God- While we were still sinners Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.
4. Count your blessing- Don’t focus on what’s wrong but on what’s right. Look at the things God has blessed you with.
5. Tomorrow is a new day- The mercies of God are new every morning.
6. Your best days are ahead of you- He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
7. God is with us- Who can pluck you out of His hand? If God is for you who can be against you? He said he would never leave us or forsake us.
8. All things work together for the good- God takes the good and the bad and works it on our behalf because we are his and He has a plan. We serve a God of purpose and destiny.
9. Jesus sits on the throne- God is in control of this universe and He is Lord over all. Every power and dominion is under His feet.
Encourage yourself in the Lord my brother and sister. Don’t allow the devil or the circumstances of life to rob you of God best for your life. The Joy of the Lord is your strength. AMEN
