Discouragement
Robert Meredith
Of all the weapons in Satan’s arsenal, discouragement might be his greatest and most effective. The devil knows that if he can get a child of God to become discouraged, then that Christian will become an ineffective servant of God. Not only will he be ineffective in the Lord’s Kingdom, but he may end up losing his soul and taking others with him. There are times when each individual becomes discouraged. Some of the greatest characters in Bible history struggled with this problem. Job wished he had died at birth (Job 3:11-12); Elijah, considered by the Jews as God’s greatest prophet, was so depressed that he believed he was the only one left who would stand with God (1 Kings 19:14). Even the great Apostle Paul needed uplifting from time to time (2 Corinthians 7:5-6).
The Apostle Peter wrote, “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). God has indeed given us everything we need to live a godly life, one filled with love, joy,
peace and holiness (Galatians 5:22-23; Psalm 1; Matthew 5:3-12). What one needs to keep in mind is Paul’s statements of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” and Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The book of Philippians is called the “Epistle of Joy.”
God has the ability to uplift the down trodden. In Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel has a vision of the “Valley of Dry Bones.” The point God is making to Ezekiel and to the people of Judah is that He has the power to restore them. Today, God has the power to restore the discouraged through His kind providence and His Word (Romans 8:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:18).
There are several things one can do to defeat the devil’s device of discouragement. First, talk to God. The Christian is commanded to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), to cast our cares upon Him (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7) and to let our supplication be known to Him (Philippians 4:6). Not only should one talk to God through prayer, but he must also turn to God’s Word. Peter exhorts, “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Our conversation with God does not need to be one-sided. We must allow Him to speak to us; not in some mystical, subjective, better felt than known way. He does not communicate that way (John 18:20). One needs to dive deeply into God’s Word for guidance (Psalm 119:105).
God has created mankind to be active social creatures. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18), and He placed them in the garden with work to do (Genesis 2:15). To help overcome discouragement, one needs to seek fellowship and spiritual activity. Remember Elijah believed he was all alone, but God told him there were “yet 7000 in Israel which have not bowed unto Baal” (1 Kings 19:18). There are yet many today who are ever striving to live faithfully to our Savior. By associating with Christians and being actively involved in the work of the church, one can begin to become encouraged. By preparing for Bible class, faithfully attending all services, attending gospel meetings and other forums in the area, and by encouraging others by edification and benevolence, one can help lift oneself and defeat Satan’s tactics.
Discouragement is real and all face it from time to time. However, we should hold fast to the words of Paul, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).