Discouraged

 

Discouraged By Life?

Discouragement is a thief!  It steals your vitality, your zeal, your joy, your peace, and your contentment.  If discouragement dwells long with you, its friends will soon join.  Their names are fatigue, hopelessness, despair, self-pity, depression, doubt, and bitterness. Sometimes discouragement can be so strong that you don’t want to go on living. I witnessed this of a dear soul that recently passed on. He was tormented for years being dissatisfied with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. And though he was a Christian, insecurities that anything could ever be changed kept him in an emotional prison.

If we have nothing to rely on, or we forget our blessing and look to our circumstances, then that is when discouragement begins to take hold. What we need is encouragement.  We need hope and peace and the knowledge that the Lord knows our troubles and has great concern and compassion for us and is not leaving us unloved or uncared for. Keeping your eyes on Jesus is the best way to be encouraged.  In Him, you can have comfort and peace and encouragement.  You need to find Him and His words, and by faith rest in Him. Jesus said, "I will never leave nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). Be encouraged because scripture says we are, "Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Corinthian 1:3,4) God is called the Father of Mercies. The word mercy means compassion and pity. It is something that is felt in the heart. In God’s very heart He feels mercy toward you!  He is the author of mercy.  His mercy toward you brings salvation, the forgiveness of sins, and deliverance from eternal damnation… and this, because of Jesus, because of His sacrifice, because of His shed blood for you.

God is the God of mercy: Psalm 86:5, “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.” The word in Greek for “comfort” is paraklesis.  It means, exhortation, comfort, and encouragement. In fact, a form of this word, parakletos is used for the Holy Spirit as well. That is why the Holy Spirit is called the Comforter in the KJV in John 14:26: “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. All this shows you that GOD HIMSELF is a God of Comfort, exhortation, and encouragement. 

But you may ask, “How is this Comfort received from God?” 

1. It is by faith – because God says He is the God of comfort, then you need to believe it and act upon it; that is, you need to trust Him and receive His comfort as He provides it. 

2. God directs His people to comfort you.  When you have a problem doesn’t the Lord send someone with an encouraging word, a helping hand, or a shoulder to cry on? Yes, He does. Comfort is found through His Word – reading, and hearing – The words of God are beautiful and are there for our instruction and encouragement.

3. By the Holy Spirit.  He is called the Comforter. He indwells you.

We can be encouraged because God is there in our afflictions.  Verse 4 says, “who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” The word affliction can also be translated as tribulation, trouble, anguish, persecution, or burden. Afflictions come in all different shapes and sizes. Sickness, financial difficulty, loss of a loved one, an unsure future, an auto accident, etc. But also, and this is something very important, the affliction occurs in the heart in that place where we get frustrated, confused, and hurt. Why do we have afflictions? Because we live in a fallen world.

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (NIV)

So then, in reality, afflictions are a way of making you better.  And that is how they should be tackled: as the testing and strengthening of your faith — through the comfort and mercy of Jesus. You don’t have to worry whether or not He is going to take care of you.  He already has, (THE CROSS), He is currently doing so, and He will continue to care for you.  After all, aren’t you more valuable than sparrows and He cares for them.

Encouragement is something that belongs to you as a Christian.  You do not have to live in a world of hurt and doubt.  You don’t have to live alone. You don’t have to weep in solitude.  You have the body of Christ to lift you up.  You have the Word of God to teach you.  You have the Holy Spirit indwelling in you who warms your soul. You have the God of encouragement waiting to show you His mercy and love. But you need to trust. You need to remember the Lord’s blessing. You need to depend on Him. You need to keep your eyes on Jesus and Him alone. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” (Matthew 11:28). And please, don't be discouraged by the political temperature in this world striping you of joy, peace, and contentment because it will eventually lead to despair, doubt, depression, and self-pity even to the point of not wanting to live another day! (additional reading 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 1 Peter 5:7; 1 Corinthians 5:58; Romans 8:38-39).

Until He Comes.

-Pat-