Discouragement is a feeling that comes to all of us from time to time. But what do we do when it latches on and won’t let go? If we aren’t careful, discouragement can cause us to look at life through a distorted lens and can even keep us from experiencing God’s best. That’s why I’m writing this blog post. I want to help people overcome discouragement so they can live life to the fullest and achieve everything Christ died to give them.

The word discouragement comes from the word discouraged, which means to deprive of courage or confidence. So, discouragement is the state of being discouraged. It’s like a thick fog of negativity that envelopes a person and it won’t leave. One of Satan’s tactics is to keep Christians in a constant state of discouragement so that we are ineffective in fighting back against the forces of darkness. If he can cause us to lose our courage, faith and confidence in God, then he has us right where he wants us – full of fear, doubt and unbelief. And Satan is also crafty. He will come at us when we are tired, worn out and when we least expect him.

Elijah, the mighty Prophet of God, found himself in a place of discouragement. He had just had a major victory by defeating and putting to death 450 false prophets of Baal. Right after that amazing showdown where God validated his chosen vessel, King Ahab, who had caused the nation of Israel to follow after false God’s, ran home to tell his wife, Jezebel, what Elijah had done. She told him, “May the gods kill me if by this time tomorrow Elijah isn’t dead for his actions.” Elijah heard about it and ran into the wilderness and hid in a cave, complaining to God that he was the only one left serving Him. God gently whispered to Elijah, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” In other words, God was asking him why he was full of fear, discouragement and lacking confidence in God his Defender. Why was he sulking in a cave in the middle of nowhere? God was also asking him why he wasn’t out fulfilling his God-given assignment. In a cloud of discouragement, Elijah, for a second time, told God his sob story that he was the only one left who served Him. This was God’s response to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:15-18 NLT:

“Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

God didn’t buy into Elijah’s pity party. Instead, He spoke the truth to him in a way that Elijah could receive. He told him to go back the way he came so he could face his enemy with God’s divine help and power and fulfill his God-ordained mission. In addition, God told Elijah that he wasn’t seeing correctly. The Lord had reserved 7,000 other men and women who had not bowed down to the idol Baal. God graciously helped Elijah look from a proper perspective. Once Elijah received God’s counsel and encouragement, faith, courage and strength returned to him. Elijah went back and faced his enemy victoriously and completed all that God asked of him!

Here are three powerful truths that will help us overcome discouragement when it comes knocking on our door:

  1. Ask God for help to see from His vantage point. When we look at life through a lens of fear and a lack of trust in God, our perspective will be skewed and it will cause us to live far below our potential. God spoke truth to Elijah and it set him free! That’s why it’s so important to spend time with God daily in His Word and in prayer. Replace lies with truth. Elijah said he was the only one left. That wasn’t true. Yet, his wrong outlook affected him negatively and was keeping him from God’s best. It wasn’t until God showed him the correct way of looking at his set of circumstances that he was set free. We have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, living on the inside of us. His job is to lead us into truth, so ask Him for guidance and wisdom!
  2. Remember past victories and the good things God has done in your life. The word remember is mentioned 166 times in the Bible. Why? Because it’s easy to forget God’s goodness and faithfulness, especially when we find ourselves in difficult situations. The Bible says in 1 Chronicles 16:12 NLT, “Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given…” God told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover from generation to generation so that His people would never forget how He brought them out of bondage and slavery into a land flowing with milk and honey. He was faithful to them every step of the way. When times got tough, they could always recount what the Lord did for them in the past that would help encourage them in their present circumstances. The same is true for you and me.
  3. Surround yourself with faith-filled people. Misery loves company. Many times, we want others to join us in our pity party and complain right along with us. Unfortunately, that’s not what is going to lift us out of these negative places. Instead, when we choose to be around people that walk with God and inspire and challenge us to trust Him against all odds, our faith gets stirred up. Faith is contagious, just as doubt and unbelief are contagious. So make a conscious decision to spend time with people that will lift your spirit and cause you to trust God.

If you are battling discouragement, I want to pray for you:

Lord, I ask that all who read this article would sense your love and peace that surpasses all understanding. I pray You would help them overcome all discouragement, bouts of depression and attacks of the enemy in the mighty name of Jesus. Expose every lie and scheme of the devil for what they are, for you are Light and in You there is no darkness. Give them the courage and confidence to keep moving forward by faith, regardless of how bleak things look in the natural. And help them see things from your vantage point. You are a faithful God and your ways are true and just. We ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen!