“Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.”. . .
(Psalm 42:5-8)
There are people who suffer the effects of discouragement for years – they don’t know how to repair the damage caused by this devastating landmine. How does this loss of confidence and optimism originate?
Disappointment is our emotional response to a failed expectation. When we allow disappointment to fester by refusing to recognize and deal with the failure, we slip into discouragement. Disappointments are inevitable, but believers don’t have to be in bondage to discouragement.
We all periodically face trials that makes us feel weak. Discouragement, however, should be temporary. Just as we drive through a tunnel, we can enter moments of discouragement and then come out on the other side. I have experienced situations in which I was very discouraged for a season of time. On occasion, I have had to get on my knees during the night to cry out to God for encouragement. After asking Him for a change in attitude and help to lay down my burden, I have been able to fall back to sleep.
In order to gain victory, we must first look within ourselves. We need to admit our specific discouragement as well as the unresolved conflicts in our heart. Identifying the root cause of our disheartened feelings allows us to work through them. Most importantly, we must turn to God. As long as we are talking about our hurt, our suffering, our embarrassment, or our shattered dreams, we will wallow in despair. But the moment we lift our heads and say “Father,” we take our first step out of discouragement.
About the Author
This article was written by Charles Stanley. You can read more about this author by clicking this link:
http://www.talk.thelife.com/charles-stanley/
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