Ditching Discouragement

Discouragement. Despair. Dejection. Downheartedness. Where blue skies and sunshine reigned, clouds of fog roll in and engulf us. Out of the gray mist morphs an unwelcome funk setting up residence within us; putting to the test the hopes and beliefs we build our faith upon. This condition can last a day, weeks, or even months.

Huge discouragements result from soured relationships. We don’t live long before we learn we fail ourselves, we fail others, and others fail us. These failures provide wide open doors for the doldrums to enter. Feeling crestfallen can also rise from a personal failure or a pathway strewn with difficult circumstances. Often, they reflect a lack of confidence in ourselves, in others, or in God.

Though we recently acknowledged God’s sovereignty in all things, when our perception of circumstances results in a worrisome, negative heaviness, we become prone to a season of downheartedness. We battle slipping into pessimism and hopelessness. Despair colors our world blue, and some days black. 

An example plays out on this very day in our country, as many citizens struggle with discouragement over the election. When the tallies are final, with certainty a group of despondent hearts will result. 

But wait. Has our God changed? Have the purposes of our God been defeated? Have His promises morphed or disappeared? Has His Word crumbled into something we cannot trust? 

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Psalm 42:5a

How do we face down melancholy that plagues us? Encouragement, hopefulness, and confidence represent the opposing emotions we reach for and desire. How do we grasp these and renew our souls?

Scripture often links discouragement with fear. Over and over God encourages His people, either directly or through their leaders, “Don’t be afraid. Do not be discouraged.” And in His next breath, we are heartened to be “strong and courageous”.

“Be strong and courageous…The Lord himself goes before you
and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:7-8

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.
For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

“Be strong and courageous…do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God,
my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
1 Chronicles 28:20

“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged…the battle is not yours, but God’s…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them (the enemy) tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”
2 Chronicles 20:15,17

In these scripture passages, we also discover the reason why we cast aside fear and do not linger in discouragement. Because the Lord our God is with us. He will never leave us, fail us, or forsake us. 

So, what fundamental ingredients turn our fear and discouragement into strength and courage? 

1. God. His character. What He has done in the past. And what He promises to do today and in the future.

2. God’s presence. He will never leave us. Never walk away. Never abandon us or give up on us. He stays with us in our depression. In our failure. In our hurt. In our disappointment. And if He remains with us, then all the riches and resources of His presence and kingdom are at our disposal: Power. Courage. Strength. Confidence. Perseverance. Security. Comfort. Help. Reassurance. Hope. Joy. Peace. 

3. God’s truth. We examine the root of our gloom. We scrutinize the “what ifs” that cause us to tremble. Then, we align each of these, individually, with what God says. We let the light of His truth saturate our thoughts and feelings until they agree with the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Therefore, raise your head, dear sister. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. The Lord God stands with you. Whomever has failed you, whatever your loss or your circumstances, God will not fail you. He will not forsake you or leave you. Ever. Not for a moment. Even when you cannot sense His presence, He is there. Reach out and receive all the power and riches He provides you to come through whatever you face in total victory. 

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
For I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”
Psalm 42:5

Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash