Nine
Overcome Discouragement
JAMES 1:12
Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.
When things do not go according to our plan, it is easy and natural to become discouraged. Luckily, we don’t serve a natural God—He is supernatural and extraordinary.
I’ve found that the obstacles we deem as permanent, and those which discourage us the most, are often the same ones that lead us to our biggest breakthroughs and blessings. Those times of hardship end with God revealing His grace to us. It is at our weakest moments when God shows His strength and the start of His mercy. What we think is our end, God sees as the great beginning.
He sees that things will only get better from that point. Sometimes we have to reach those low moments in order to understand what God is telling us or what He has been trying to show us all along. You may even see that discouraging time as a huge blessing and thank God for bringing you to that point.
He wants to see you stay in faith and keep your head up high, trusting Him with all your heart. He promised He has equipped you for every bump in the road, so don’t give the enemy control by becoming discouraged. Stay in strong faith as you wait for your answer. God will lead down the right path, and He knows where He is taking you.
We’ve all been discouraged at one point in our lives. Regardless of the success or luck you’ve had, everyone faces difficulties. Dealing with discouragement is difficult, especially when you work so hard on making that dream become reality and you just don’t see the prayers getting answered.
When we slip into discouragement we feel like God was just too busy to answer that prayer. Like He just didn’t feel like giving us that promotion. Like He had more important things to do, and more important people to help. That’s exactly what the enemy makes us think.
You cannot listen to any of that. Your job is just to wait and have faith have—God will come through for you and He hears all prayers. He is testing your patience, and equipping you for the prosperity coming up. He is seeing if you can handle this to decide when to pour His favor on you. Pour your praise onto Him and bless Him with all that you do, and you will see discernment, wisdom, and more understanding of God’s will for you. Just know, you are equipped for this battle and have the strength to overcome every obstacle between you and your destiny.
In the blink of an eye, He will throw a blessed curveball your way and change the game. Just when you think you struck out, God says differently. You may think waiting for God to show up is just not worth it. Like it would take days, months, or years to get even a good sign. But think about how long it takes for God to turn everything around—one second. That sudden switch is worth the wait. He will blow the wind of favor and success your way. Your destiny will be reached.
Discouragement is just a phase—God is forever. Your times of trouble are limited and temporary, but God’s power is limitless, timeless, and forever. There is nothing to be discouraged about—God has you in His hand. He will pick you up when you feel weak and alone. Remember that your hurdles tremble in fear when you speak the Name of Jesus over them. They know they cannot win against our God.
God tells you in Jeremiah 29 that He has "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." When things don’t go according to your plan, don’t get discouraged. God is bringing you something even better than anything you could imagine. It may seem like your obstacles right now have no end, but don’t give up! You will see the Light at the end of the dark tunnel. All your obstacles are strengthen and preparing you for the plans The Lord has for you, and you wouldn’t believe where He is taking you!
You will prosper, soar, and flourish through your faith in God. You will thank Him for the challenges, because they will let you see God working in new areas of your life, and you will see His victory before your very own eyes. It is a miraculous blessing to watch God defeat our enemies and break every chain, every bondage, and every addiction. He came, died, and rose for us to trust in His power and be saved by His grace. We have no need for worry anymore, because the One Messiah has saved our souls and we cannot be discouraged when we know the paradise that awaits us after this life, along with the gift of life itself. Jesus gave up His own life to give us ours. Let’s see what else He has in store. Just image what kind of blessings He can bring!
Whatever it may be, I want you to be inspired and excited about watching God win against your opposition. The way He pulls us out of our low points and wins without even trying amazes me every time! He is fearless. He does not flinch when adversity comes. When your life is a mess, He simply says that He has a plan and that He will be blessed by having the privilege of seeing your faith in Him, which gives glory to His Name.
You were not made to give into discouragement. You aren’t just to scrape by or hardly make it. He didn’t create you to give up now, not when the blessing is just around the corner. You were made a victor, a champion, and a servant of God—nothing to be disappointed about.
Discouragement makes us feel exhausted, drained of all energy. When you feel like this, rest in Matthew 11:28, where God tells us, "Come to Me, you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Life can throw us some good beatings here and there. It’s okay to give up trying to be perfect and all kept together.
God is not just there for when we are happy. On the contrary, He is ever so present in our distress and during our trials. It’s okay to say: “Lord, I’m tired. I’ve tried everything. I don’t see a way, but I will hold on. I will trust that You see things beyond this mountain. I’m not going to be discouraged. Not this time. I’m not serving both You and discouragement—for now on, I serve You and You only.” God will hear you and feed you energy and quench your thirst. He will answer you and demonstrate the power of prayer for you.
You will think more like Him, and all discouragement will not just fade away but because it is illegal for it to win against God, it will be forced to flee far from you—and never return.
We don’t bother God when we come to Him. He wants to talk with us, energize us, and give us what we lack. It gives Him glory as He watches you trust Him. Don’t think you’re letting Him down by not being perfect or happy and energetic all the time—you’re only human!
Like Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” The best path, visible by our eyes, may not be the same as the path God has designed for us to walk on. On the other hand, the path we look at through our heart and faith can easily be distinguished as God’s way for us. This is because walking by faith lets us see things His way.
His wisdom tells us which path to take, and The Holy Spirit talks to us, ensuring we stay on His path. We may think other paths we see are better for whatever reason. The walk with God will not lack obstacles—and we have to learn to accept that—but it is incomparably easier in the end because it leads to fulfilling your destiny and it puts you where God intended for you to be.
His path leads to Heaven. His path leads to salvation. His path is truth.
A “straight” path without any obstacles will lead nowhere if we walk alone. But, The Lord’s path for you is filled with good obstacles—ones that will build your faith and actually bring God glory as you walk through them.
He loves to watch us face the mountains fearlessly; nothing brings Him more glory than watching His children declare His victory over all the obstacles. Speak to all the forces making you feel discouraged and command them to fall under your feet in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior. You were destined to make all your obstacles discouraged by their own failure to destroy you, not the other way around.
Jesus Christ died for you and me. Do you understand the kind of love He had, has, and will always have for you? He didn’t have to save anyone, but He chose to out of the love and kindness from His heart. He chose you because of who are you. The talent you have. The potential you have. The success you have in your future. Think about that everyday, and you will grow closer to God faster than you could imagine. You will be confident in how He made you, and develop complete confidence in Him.
Be the light switch of the room. With your discouragement long behind you, make it your mission to brighten up someone else’s day wherever you go. Hebrews 10:24 tells us to encourage one another. Show others how Jesus can brighten up our spirits. Make it a goal each day to spread positivity in any way possible—or impossible.
With God there is no such thing as just possible—He can even do the impossible through you. Do not give up on your dreams; if God placed those inside of you, He has already equipped you to reach them. Just believe and have faith—that will carry you further than anything.
There are just some things in our lives that we have to accept we could not have done it on our own—it was Jesus. Ask Him to do the impossible within you today.
Faith Reminder
Keep small personal phrases of encouragement playing in your mind all day. If you are currently in a stressful situation, play in your head the phrase; “This is only leading me to better places. Today I’m here, tomorrow I’m living my dreams.”