When Discouragement Strikes

Hostility is coming against each one of us in a way or another in an attempt to hinder us from reaching God’s best for us, trying to steal our joy, to put us down and make us settle where we are. What’s worse, it usually comes accompanied with those well known "never-lies": "You’ll never get rid of this addiction, you’ll never come out of trouble, you’ll never pay that house or you’ll never see your relationship restored etc."

These are the "never-lies" that we all have to fight against because if you give in, there is only one way they will take you: down the pit of destruction.

However, it is not necessarily easy when these come because they just know how to hit the most painful spot, they know what button to press to cause us feel miserable and to convince us that trying again it is not worth it.

Along all that, as a "bonus" the others around - often times the closest people - will not encourage you in those moments! Isn’t it weird? But well…unfortunately it is so painfully true! This happens for several reasons and the main is that the others don’t see what you see, at least they don’t see it just yet.

For example, God told His people to go get their promised land and for that reason, twelve of them prepared, went and searched the land but… surprise! Their report was so different! Ten of them said that there were giants in the land and there was no way they could win a battle against those giants while only two men - Joshua and Caleb - said that the country is great and they are well able to win the battle against the giants!

It is surprising, yet very revealing, as God qualifies the report of the ten men an "evil report" while God says about the report of the two men a "good report".

This example illustrates a practical proportion: around 80% of people will see the negative part of a situation and will magnify all the reasons why they can’t accomplish a given goal, while only approximately 20% of them can see the opportunity.

It is really helpful to keep this in mind because when God tells you to enter your promise land- that is in other words to accomplish the purpose God created you for - there will usually be giants in the land, but because God told you what to do, don’t give up on that dream! Don’t let the other naysayers talk you in giving up that goal! If God wants that for you, God will make it happen weather you have support from others or not!

King David in one of the most tensed situation he was in, where his own people turned against him (without being his fault) did this: David encouraged himself in the Lord! Yes, when was the last time you encouraged yourself? You might need to do it very often as there is not always somebody around to support you when you most need it! Of course God will always be there for you and it is in God that you have to encourage yourself - something like this:" I know God is never in a crisis, I know God has a solution for my problem, I know God will give me the strength to brake this addiction because God is a Almighty, Righteous and Loving and He promised He will never leave me nor forsake me, but be with me till the end of time!" Yes, Jesus Christ came to give us life and not just to barely survive but to live from abundance!

To know God’s promises, to know for a fact that God does keep them and He does reward the ones who seek Him is something you need to experience for yourself if you haven’t so far. When you really get to know that God loves you indeed, not just from your lips but from the deepest of your convictions, it is then when you can start relying on Him, when you really can encourage yourself in the Lord as David did.

Right, so to accomplish God’s goal for your life which equals the best version of your life, expect opposition but overcome it, don’t let yourself dragged back, encourage yourself in the Lord and you can be sure of one thing: the One who is for you is much greater than the one who is against you, therefore, the victory is a guarantee! Never give up in front of discouragement!