Finding Courage in the Face of Discouragement
"Write your blog." Are the words my mom left me with after consoling me.
Less tha 24 hours prior to writing this, I found myself faced wtih the ugly giant of discouragement. I found myself asking how I could possibly encourage people to hold on to faith when the same faith I held on to was met with disappointment.
So there I was, my eyes welling uncontrollably as reality set in. The question of what my next move would be hovered over me like a dark cloud only to be interrupted with a greater question echoing deep in the crevice of my heart—
"Will you still praise Me?"
We often have this idea of what life will look like according to our plan, but if I learned anything last night it's that we have little to no control over how our plans will pan out.
The question is whether or not you trust God's Word over your present situation. Will you trust that the plans that belong to man remain under the sovereignty of God's direction (Prov. 16:9)?
My answer to this day remains yes, so I found the courage to praise God even though my human heart felt like there was no strength in me left to.
Sobbing with my palms covering my face, I inaudibly cried out, "I will still praise You, God. I trust You; I have faith that You will see me through."
Trust me – it's easier said than done. I promise you that the moment praise leaves your lips you will feel the burden lift. It may not be immediate, but it will lift with every praise you breathe out.
So how do you find the oasis of encouragement and the courage to keep going when you're in a desert of discouragement finding your faith dry up with every step? Let me share what brought me back from the depths of the trenches.
Decide to get up
You have two choices: 1. Stay down, or 2. Get up. In the famous words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."
It starts with a decision.
Speak the truth of God's promise over yourself
I feel like I say this in almost every blog I've written, but that is simply because speaking God's Word over your life has the power to change your life.
It does a few things: 1. Reminds you of who God is, 2. Silences fear and doubt, 3. Refocuses your mind on God, 4. Awakens faith in you, 5. Releases you from the burden of being responsible for the things out of your control, because reality is control was never yours to begin with.
Here are some scripture I speak over myself when faced with trouble,
Taking courage – Deut. 31:6; Joshua 1:9
When you have concerns – Psalm 138:8
God works things for good – Romans 8:28; Romans 8:31
To those needing hope – 1 Peter 5:10; Isaiah 40:31
God is fighting for you; He is with you – 2 Chron. 20:15; Exodus 14:14; Isaiah 43:2
There are so many encouraging scriptures that bring light in darkness; these are only a few. I challenge you to speak God's promises over yourself and see how it turns things around.
Surround yourself with people who encourage you
If it were not for my strong pillars of support, I don't think I would have made it as far as I have. Isolation is a dangerous place to be when your spirit is crushed and your soul is vulnerable to the hurt.
God created us for relationship with Him and with others—that was on a good day; how much more on a bad one?
There will be days when you don't have the strength in you to stand up - that is where you will find strength in numbers to help you get up (Ecc. 4:9-12).
Encourage others
I know – how in the world are you supposed to encourage people when you can hardly encourage yourself? I get it; it's unorthodox and seems contradicting, but hear me out. The moment you start shifting your focus on the discouragement in front of you and focus on how you can encourage others you will find yourself being uplifted in the process.
In fact, we are called to encourage and build each other up (1 Thess. 5:11). I have done it time and time again; I have seen the fruit of it. Every time I have been discouraged, I pour myself out to God. He pours into me, so I pour out to others.
Think of it like walking up a mountain; at some point you become tired and out of breath. Along the way you find someone beaten down by the trek. If you stop and compare your weariness to theirs you will be stuck in the same place you were when you found them.
Now – imagine this: you go up to them and you encourage them to keep going. You help them up and you start leaning on each other to keep going. You keep doing this until, eventually, you fnd yourself at the top of the mountain, but this time you're not alone!
This is what it looks like to encourage and build each other up. Your journey to the top will be a difficult one with paths you will often feel are too hard to climb, but when you have someone to lean on to encourage you as you encourage them you will both make your way up to the top.
Praise changes perspective
When we start praising God we shift our focus on the problem and we gaze upon our ever-present Help (Psalm 121). I don't know how to explain it, but sometimes there are no words that can and that's okay. Praise awakens something deep within you; it changes you and it changes the way you see things.
Look at the Book of Psalms and read about David; see how He still chooses to praise God in moments of discouragement and despair. You will see how it pulls him up from the trenches.
Try it – begin to praise God over your problems. Let your pain hear your praise and see how He uses that to awaken hope within you. Sometimes all it takes to move you one step forward is a whisper of praise. You don't even need to shout because God hears you (Ps. 66:17-20).
Make a playlist
Sometimes you can't find the words, but you will find that there are songs that speak to the depths of your soul that feel unreachable.
Here's a playlist I put together that has helped me when I can't find the words.
There is no easy way to find courage in the face of discouragement. That isn't to say it's impossible; it is possible with God. Trust Him to straighten the path and don't lean on your own strength or understanding (Prov. 3:5-6).
I will always say this over myself and to anyone willing to hear it – having faith is our responsibility, fulfilling the promise is God's. So have courage, hold fast in faith, and keep on moving forward because even at a whisper God can move your mountain; He will see you through.