Articles
Seeing Through Discouragement
I don’t like being discouraged. Discouragement affects every area of our lives. It affects our relationship with God, our mate, and our children. It even affects our relationship with ourselves. It is prevalent in our lives. So, what are some things we can do to overcome it?
First, find someone who has helped you in life and thank them. Let them know what they have done that helped you. Thenf find someone for whom you can do something good. Both get our minds off ourselves. Discouragement keeps the focus on ourselves. We need to look outward, to others.
Second, stop and enjoy the moment. Enjoy the world God has created. Enjoy the beauty of the day. Stop and reflect as you look at God’s creation. See how marvelous He is. Appreciate His imagination in His creation. God has made this world and people with intrinsic beauty. It is there if we look for it.
Third, give emphasis to what really matters. Days and weeks of melancholy often help us see what really matters. Occasionally something will happen that helps me see the hurt others feel. Their own unhappiness makes me realize how truly blessed I am. The Lord provides these moments of reflection to help us see how richly blessed we. Focusing on what really matters helps us to be content. Contentment helps us see how rich we really are. Life has its gnats and mosquitoes that buzz around and frustrate us but, overall, we are richly blessed.
Fourth, discouragement can be conquered when we really press to be like Jesus. When we are kind as He is kind, love as He loves, we are much more pleasant. When we are like Jesus, we are of benefit to others. When we are like Jesus, hard times become manageable. Focusing on being in the image of Jesus give us purpose and direction. I find when I lose that focus on purpose, I begin to feel sorry for myself. But when I can keep Him in my focus, I look away from myself and look toward Him. It helps me see everything through eyes of faith and hope.
We don’t have to live discouraged lives. We do have to choose to live lives of encouragement. Satan wants us to keep our eyes on ourselves and all that is wrong with ourselves. He wants to keep our eyes away from Jesus. Jesus offers more than Satan. Look to Him.
Rickie Jenkins
