Combat Discouragement

Here are some amazing things that I have learned lately that keep me standing when the waves of discouragement crash against me. Those of you that have done Christianity for any amount of time can appreciate this because we do get discouraged. It is hard to crawl towards eternity... My progress is slow. I keep gravitating to the same sins. I would love to have a Damascus Road experience like Paul and never look back and never relapse into sin... I haven't had one. I keep sinning. That is discouraging. Life, as calculated as I try to make it, never works out the way I plan. That is discouraging. I fight with people that I love. That is discouraging. How do we battle discouragement and where do we go to find our joy? Let's take a minute to examine this battle. Maybe you feel so joyful right now that this looks like a different language. Read on. It would serve you well to have this in the back of your head for the "valleys" that await you.

I can only speak from my life and that is a life of ministry. Everyone is called to ministry (1 Peter 2:9) so hopefully we all can relate to this. My prayer for this article is that it will be helpful to you in whatever your circumstance, but my focus will be on the pressures that I feel as a result of ministry.

I would say that people called to the duty of overseeing ministries like pastors, shepherds, teachers, elders, missionaries, and the like feel a special weight. I could enumerated a whole lot of things that ministry can do to you to be discouraging but let me just echo what Paul has written and tell you that most pastors feel this... "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)" I understand that I am wrenching the text out of a context of extreme affliction and persecution. Nonetheless, I believe that faithful Christ honoring ministry is unpopular, uncool, and difficult. And even more so in church culture that wants so desperately to mimic lost culture. Paul felt a concern for the church(s), I feel that too (2 Corinthians 11:28).

Lets move forward... we face discouragement. Here are some thoughts that will help us combat being discouraged... First and foremost, God is on his throne. He is bigger than my biggest problem. Nothing takes him by surprise. He knows when I am upset. He sees me fail and fall down and it doesn't surprise him. He has a plan and he is working that plan out. It might take my whole life to understand how he is working but I know this, I am being transformed to be like his Son. I might endure a life of hardship (Jesus and Paul come to mind) yet it will be worth it to be faithful even if I am poor, needy, uncomfortable, unpopular, disregarded, disrespected, insignificant, and afflicted my whole life. It is worth it to remain faithful.

Also, another thing that helps is that life and ministry are mercies. John MacArthur made that clear for me. He points out that it is an honor and privilege to serve in whatever capacity God allows. I don't deserve my position. Neither do you. It is a mercy.

Thirdly, at least I am not Isaiah... remember the story of the prophet? Isaiah was called to speak to the Israelites on behalf of God. Sounds cool right? But, then God deals this crippling blow, "but your ministry will make them hate you and they won't respond to the message and they don't want to hear you. (Isaiah 6:9-13)" Pretty sucky calling if you ask me. But, he was faithful. He did his ministry well.

Furthermore, I am called to suffer and that helps make sense of life. "Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom. (Acts 14:22 ESV)" It is for my benefit that God is allowing me to feel discouraged or tested. "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:3-5)" God is making us faithful to him through many trials. He is developing us. He even uses our discouragement to shape us.

Lastly, it is ok to be discouraged. It happened to our heroes. Can you imagine having Demas abandon the ministry after watching so many come to Jesus(2 Tim 4:10)?! Can you imagine what it felt like to have one of your closest friends disown you three times in your greatest time of need?! Paul felt it. Our Messiah felt it. So, here is where we need to take our discouragement. The cross. Sit at the cross of Christ and tell him it is worth it to be discouraged for him. He holds you man! He upholds your life and even when you think it can't get any worse he is there and holding you up. He went through it. He waded through life and came out perfectly faithful to the end. Now you need to persevere in your faith. Tell your great Redeemer that even if you never see another blessing on this side of eternity you will continue to be faithful to him. If you can't pray with honesty for that then start by saying, "I want to want you more." Start there and see if God will not move in your heart. As you begin to see Jesus as more precious than your life then you can say, "We have this treasure in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7)." What is the treasure? "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)." Why do we have it in silly earthen vessels like us(clay pots)? "To show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-9)." O' that more Christians could say that! That there would be a band of followers that wouldn't get blown over every time God doesn't grant their wishes! He wants our faith to be deep and rich and able to handle any discouragement that the Great Deciever throws at us. And that leads us to be able to sing, "I am 'sorrowful yet always rejoicing!' (2 Corinthians 6:10)"

Jesus we love you more than anything else... Lord we repent of the times when we allow our discouragement to seem bigger than your glory. You are enough. You are more precious than our comfort. You are more valuable than 80 years of living at peace. You are our desire. Help us to cherish you like we should. Help us to live like nothing matters besides you! Shut up our mouths before we can say one single bitter word.

O' Great God, we love you. We love you. We love you.