When we feel hopeless about our future and circumstances it
is easy for discouragement to take over.
We have to look beyond this cloud of despair to God for true help and
the promise of a better future.
When discouragement does set in, there are several things you
can do to overcome:
• Pray
– Remember who God is and the power He holds.
He is a loving God who is consistent in character and it is His
character to help His children. He wants
you to talk to Him, even though He already knows your every need. Pour out your heart to Him in honesty and ask
Him to open your eyes to see your circumstances clearly, and to see what He
wants you to see. Ask Him for patience to endure until you learn all you are
supposed to learn. Wait on the Lord be of
good courage and He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait I say on the Lord. Psalm 27:14
• Fill
up your Spiritual Tank – Take some time to renew your relationship with
God. Rest in the comfort of His love and
give yourself time to heal. Set up a time
to have a daily devotional or maybe join a Bible Study group if you feel ready.
It is great to find someone you trust to
be an accountability partner and ask them to pray with you and for you during
this time. Now is not the time to sink
back into the woodwork and disappear. Go
to church so you can have fellowship with other Christians. You need their support and love and some of
them may be going through the same thing you are.
• Take
Care of Yourself Physically – If you need a break, take one. Now is the time to heal physically as well as
spiritually. Rest, feed your body, and
recover from the toll that stress takes on the body. Protect this time for yourself. You may have to actually make yourself a
priority over someone else for a change.
• Refocus
- Stop. Think about where you are and where you want to go. Then put one foot in front of the other and
move. Some days you will have to force
yourself, but you will not get better if you don’t move toward God. Begin to perform the simple tasks that are so
very important such as feeding the dog, taking care of the kids, doing the
laundry. It will feel good to accomplish
something. You must put one foot in
front of the other and move.
• Resist
– Satan will always be waiting to discourage you. Pray for strength to resist these
attacks. Expect that there will be
disappointments in life again and again and be ready. Remember that God is with you even in the
most lonely, discouraging moments.
Choose to trust God in the face of fear and ask Him for the courage to
fulfill His purposes for you. Remember,
He is in control of your life and He does have a plan for you. He may not change our circumstances the way
we want Him to, but He will give you the encouragement you need to overcome.
Above all these other strategies the most important thing in
improving your ability to handle disappointment and discouragement is to face
more of it. In the midst of the driest desert stands the Saguaro cactus. It is able to remain flexible and fresh
because it stores enough water to get through the dry times. It
not only survives, but it provides the only refreshment in the desert during
times of drought. We need to store up resources so that when discouragement
hits next time, we will be ready.
Don’t be afraid to take more risks and fall down again. You will come out stronger each time. Reward yourself for attempts even if the
outcome is not what you expect. Find
value in the effort!
Scripture to Claim
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we
will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9
