How can I handle discouragement? - Encouragement - TouchPoints

1 Peter 5:8-9Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. . . . Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

When you are discouraged, you are particularly vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. During these difficult times, be especially careful to stay close to God’s Word and other believers.

1 Kings 19:10“I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

Discouragement makes us feel sorry for ourselves. We must guard against thinking we are the only ones who are going through troubles. It is encouraging to realize others are going through the same things we are.

1 Samuel 1:10Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord.

Ezra 9:5-6I stood up from where I had sat in mourning. . . . I prayed.

Prayer is the first step to take when discouraged. It moves you into the presence of God, allowing you to be honest with him and share your burdens with him.

2 Chronicles 20:15“Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

It would have been easy for the people of Judah to see only the vast enemy army and not God standing over it to destroy it. We must be careful to disconnect our feelings of discouragement from our assurance of God’s love for us. Discouragement can cause us to doubt God’s love, drawing us away from the source of our greatest help.

James 4:10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Acknowledge God’s sovereignty and how much you need his help.

Psalm 42:5-6, 8Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you. . . . But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.

Trust God’s promise to bring good out of the bad. Let him teach you something important even from your discouragement. Never separate yourself from the One who can give you the most help.

Psalm 55:22Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.

Matthew 11:28-29Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Let God carry your burdens when they are too heavy. This doesn’t mean he will take all your problems away or that he will solve your problems for you. That happens in heaven. But for now, God promises to give you wisdom, strength, comfort, and discernment to deal with your problems in a positive and effective manner.

Zechariah 8:6, 13“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now. . . . But is it impossible for me? . . . Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid.”

God can do the impossible, so let him!

1 Corinthians 15:58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Be enthusiastic about God’s work, and then you will experience God’s blessing.