Fight Discouragement

Do you ever get discouraged? Life can be so hard at times! We often experience setbacks, failures, unmet expectations, and deadlines. We will have stress from work and home. We can undergo a lack of support from bosses, family members, and others in our lives. We can forego health issues, and often have financial strain. The list is endless, and often seems overwhelming to say the least. How do we navigate all the difficult things in our worldly lives? Isn't it easy for us to stumble and get caught up in all the bad and forget about all the good that God gives us?

This is a temporary place, and we often live as though it is permanent. Often, we forget to look at our own root of the problem, that is, our sinful detachment from our heavenly Father when encumbered by these things. Simply put, it is our lack of trust and faith in Christ that He has it all! So now, how can we possibly navigate all of these hard things in our lives when we are under spiritual attack? The answer is simple, and involves putting our heart and mind on Him, with prayer and being in the Word daily being crucial to not get caught up in the crazy cycle of discouragement.

Man, this is such a simple answer, but man, do I struggle with doing this as I should and have been instructed. Fortunately for us, we have help from above, and in his word. 1st Peter 5:7-9 states: Casting all your anxieties on Him because he cares for you. Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. Yes, we are not alone! 2nd Corinthians 5:7 states: "For we walk by faith, not by sight." We often live our lives by what we see and are experiencing at the time, due to our emotions, don't we?

We are not alone and should strive to live our lives by these three guidelines:
-Trust in God's care
-Find strength in His Word
-Remember His Faithfulness