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Finding help when feeling Discouraged.
Written by Richard Thomas/ October 28, 2001
What does it mean to be discouraged?. When we lose courage, we become discouraged. To have your dream stolen is to be discouraged. Scripture admonishes us to not exasperate our children to the point of wanting to give up. [ Ephesians 6:4 ] No doubt about it, life is a struggle. To carry on the good fight of faith you need hope just like any soldier. Hope is what fuels courage. And courage is what enables the soldier in the battles of life to carry on. A soldier is generally defined as a person inlisted to defend against tyranny and opression. But there are different types of soldiers engaged on many battle fronts. The medical science hall of fame is filled with soldiers of healing, fighting against the microscopic enemies of Small Pox, Polio, Malaria, and an endless variety of viruses. Given enough time and support even Aids, Cancer, MS, and many others will be concurred. Parents choosing a life raising children instead of persuing a vocation outside the home or bringing Christ into the work place by your Christian work ethic face another kind of battlefront. I can personally testify to the need for Christians to be bold enough to express their faith not only in word but deed in the work place of the world. I've spent 30+ years working in the non-Christian world. The majority of those years I was scheduled to work on the weekends. But God's word was my companion before leaving for work and during my lunch hour. I keep a pocket New Testament handy to read on my 10 minute break. Many a time it has been used to open a conversation. I have never had anyone tell me to put it away. If you are a professing Christian in the world's work place you should carry a pocket New Testament with you at all times. And be ready at all times to give an account of your faith in Christ. [ 1 Peter 3:15 ] The Christian soldier faces an invisible enemy that can take on many forms. [ Genesis 3:1 ] Judas was the most unsuspected betrayer of Jesus. The disciples had no clue as to what Judas was planning. But God sees and judges what is in the human heart. [ 2 Chronicles 16:9a, Matthew 26:23 - 25 ] While hope remains in the heart of the warrior, the battle will be fought. But when we are discouraged, hope is deflated. And the enemy gains a foothold.

Why do we become discouraged? A person may become discouraged when his/her plans do not come to fruition. Things often just don't work out the way we want them to. We can also become discouraged through ignorance. Ignorance leaves us in the dark. Neglecting your daily intake of God's word will leave you weak and without clear direction on life's path. And darkness is one of our enemy's offensive weapons. Darkness will cause the Christian soldier to lose focus and be discouraged to press on. Discouragement can leave a soldier too weak to continue the fight. Discouragement has caused the work of a lifetime to remain unfinished. Discouragement can even bear the face of a friend.[ Matthew 16:24 ] When the disciples of Jesus saw Him carried off by the mob. Their courage melted like wax. Hope was deflated momentarily. But, with hope in the heart, the two Mary(s) came to see the tomb where Jesus was laid. [ Matthew 28:1 ] The glimmer of hope within was fanned to flame as the angels at the tomb announced that the hope of all the ages had risen from the dead. [ Luke 24:6 - 8 ] Hope was re-inflated at Pentecost and a New Covenant was ratified. [ Acts 2:1 - 4 ] After the Holy Spirit was given, everything Jesus taught began to surface in the hearts of those closest to Him.

How to overcome being discouraged? By keeping our eyes on the perfecter of our faith ! [ Hebrews 12:2 ] Jesus is the one leading the charge. Once we realize the fight is not ours but His who called us to Himself. And the One who called us will not fail to equip us for the battle. [ Ephesians 6:10 - 18, Hebrews 13:21, 2 Peter 1:1 - 11 ] Then and only then will we find the will to fight the good fight of faith.

The key to all of this is "Abandonment" of self. Totally sold out for Jesus Christ. If you try clinging to your life, you will lose everything. If you let go and let God take control - life will extend beyond measure. [ John 10:10 ]
"Trust and obey,
For there's no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,
O, to trust and obey." [ traditional hymn ]

If you are seeking hope for a new life, it all begins with Jesus. Begin Here!
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