BEATING DISCOURAGEMENT
Hebrews 12:1–3
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."
While the calendar says that fall started a week ago, it actually officially starts for me on Oct 1st. Our first hunters/friends will arrive this week, and with them they bring a lot of laughs and love. It's a time I anxiously await each year. With each new week comes more friends. It is a great time together.
There is a week or two leading up to Oct 1st that is rarely joyous... It can be downright ugly. The time I most look forward to becomes a time of pain for me. The often self imposed pressures of having everything ready gets me in a state of discouragement. It seems before we finish one task, three more arise. Each night I seem to go to bed more tired than the night before. I start waking earlier and earlier, giving me less rest and leaving me more physically and emotionally worn out... It's a vicious downward spiral. It can be a dangerous place.
This is the danger of discouragement, because if it continues unattended it can lead to the far more dangerous condition called despair. Discouragement can last for minutes, hours or days and the longer we allow it to go on the more danger we have of of it turning to despair. We start to feel like life isn't going to get better, that we've become a failure, that we won't get out of the hole we're in... We start to give up. So what can we do?
The apostle Paul wrote to the people of Philippi telling them of where their hearts and minds should be focused...
Philippians 4:8 tells us, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
If we can turn our focus from our own problems to the beauty of God, we will come up out of the depression and despair. It sounds simple, but it's true. But be prepared, Satan doesn't want God's people to be happy, he wants to have us discouraged, depressed and in despair. He will send people and circumstances to us to try to keep us down.
But God knows our condition and if we allow Him, He will lift us out of the place we feel we are stuck in and restore our joy in Him.
In the verses in Hebrews we see that Jesus was facing a terrible time and yet He endured it, knowing that beyond that rough time was joy. Then the verses go on to tell us that we are to consider this lest we become weary and fall into discouragement.
We need to spend time in prayer, read our Bibles, surround ourselves with those that can lift us up spiritually. Prepare for battle because Satan will be coming for us to try to bring us back down.
Don't allow our circumstances to take away our joy. Allow God to restore it.
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