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Discouragement
Joshua 1:6- 9
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you may go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Life is filled with problems, challenges and disappointments. Things happen that interfere with the best laid plans. Many times we can find ourselves discouraged and wanting to just give up. It’s easy to let this discouragement overwhelm us, but, despite the circumstances, it is possible to overcome it.
When we are discouraged, our faith is often put to the test and ought to be our first indication that it is time to pray. We often get discouraged because we get busy and neglect to pray. Many Christians are discouraged by life’s problems and have a lack of confidence that they can deal effectively with life’s challenges. We need to call on God to help us understand His guidance in the midst of those circumstances. The Lord tells Joshua to be strong and of good courage and to not be dismayed or afraid because He is with him wherever he goes. The Lord gives the same promise to Christians in Matthew 28:20: “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age, Amen.”
There are three underlying causes for discouragement:
- lack of confidence in God
- lack of confidence in ourselves
- lack of direction for the future
Joshua faced these same problems when he led the people of Israel into the Promised Land. God reminded Joshua that the key to overcoming discouragement was a vital, personal relationship with Him. Verse 8 is a clear reminder of this.
Once we really believe God loves us and cares about us, we can begin to have confidence in His plans for our lives. The key is lining up our prayers and lives with the certain promises of God’s Word. Here are some keys that can help:
- Ride out the storm. Be strong and of good courage. Hang in there. Some people never realize their potential because they are beaten down by the storms of life and give up too soon.
- Realize that God uses ordinary people. You don’t have to be a spiritual giant to experience God’s grace in your life. I love 1 Corinthians 1:27 : “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.”
- Don’t be defeated by the negatives. Heb 12:1-2 reminds us to run that race keeping our focus on Jesus and the wonderful possibilities of our lives.
- Remember that we are special. God uniquely created us and designed us to serve Him. We are uniquely gifted to minister to people no one else will ever meet or touch.
- Focus on behavior. We need to do what is right, no matter how we feel. We need to make sure our behavior determines our feelings, not the other way around. This sets us free to be creative, confident, and committed.
- Be persistent. Remember the persistent widow parable? The judge granted her request just because she wouldn’t give up. (Luke 18:1-8). We actualize the impossible when we honor God with faith.
The answer to discouragement is to get our focus off ourselves and our limited resources and focusing on the unlimited power of God. His grace is sufficient. When we give our discouragement to God, He can encourage us and draw us even closer to Him.
