10 Ways to Conquer Discouragement

So, we’ve acknowledged that we do sometimes face discouragement. (See last post, if you haven’t read it yet) What now?  How can I become intentional in my actions to help? What can I do to help stop discouragement?

Here are some things that I have found helpful:

1. VOCALIZE.

You don’t have to scream it to the world, but find someone, or multiple people, whom you trust. Then unapologetically put it out there, all of it. I’ve found that just vocalizing what I am facing takes it’s power. 

The devil wants us to think we are alone in what we are facing/feeling, and he wants us to keep it to ourselves. He wants us to become withdrawn, isolated, and to fall further into that pit of discouragement.

Voacalizing means you’ve put it out there for others to start helping you pray. Sometimes those prayers come from where you would least expect them. You may not ever know who starts calling your name to Jesus. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:9-12‬ that  “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” There is power to overcome just by not walking life alone.

‭‭I’ve also found in vocalizing what I am going through, others find their voice as well. So, not only have you found your voice, you’ve helped someone else find their voice. Suddenly we are not alone, instead we’ve helped someone else take that first step too.

2. READ YOUR BIBLE

I cannot emphasize this one enough. It is SO VERY IMPORTANT to stay in the Word of God. It doesn’t matter if we feel like it. We get in the word anyway. It is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. (Psalm 119:105) There is life giving words for our souls. We have to intentionally take the time to get in there and read it.

We have little excuse in 2022 for not getting in the word. Bibles are readily available to us. There are apps on our phones that will read it to us, give us devotions to dig into the word, and send reminders to our phones so we don’t get busy and forget. Make up your mind to get in the word.

3. BREATHE 

Breathing is life. I have found that when I get stressed, or life feels overwhelming, I don’t inhale well. I guess you could say that I forget to breathe.  You will be amazed what a couple minutes a day of deep breathing can do for your mind. 

4. PRAY

Call on Jesus! Prayer is a weapon that is not used near enough. When you feel discouragement coming on, get alone with the Lord and pray. In the pit of discouragement, call out to Jesus. Just call on his name. I know he isn’t hard of hearing. He hears the faintest whisper, but sometimes you need to yell for him in the very desperation you feel. The Bible is full of promises and examples of how the Lord heard, and answered when his children called out to him. I’ve listed a few here. ⬇️

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. -Psalm 34:4

The righteous cry, and the Lord hearth, and delivered them out of all their troubles. -Psalm 34:17

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. -Psalm 18:6

In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. -Psalm 120:1

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am....-Isaiah 58:9

5. WORSHIP

Hopefully worship is a part of your daily life. If it isn’t, today is a great day to start that daily habit. During times of encouragement worship longer. Make a playlist of your favorite Christian songs, and then fill your heart with them.  In Acts when the disciples were given the instructions to wait for the promise. Luke’s account in chapter 24 verse 49 says ‘ tarry... until ye be endured with power from on high.’ Tarry means to stay, abide, continue, or to lodge. I even heard the word in my heart during church last night. Tarry just a little longer.❤️

6. GO TO CHURCH

Gathering together with the church is vital. The building is just the meeting place of the church. We are the church. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We strengthen each other, and encouragement is found. It’s necessary for growth as Christians. Nothing else should take the place of coming together to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In all reality, nothing else can take it’s place. There is just something special about worshipping with other believers. You can do all the other things, but if you leave this one out, you will fall short on beating discouragement. You may ask why after reading that last sentence. The simple answer is failing to be obedient to the Word of God. 

7. SLEEP

Your body and mind need sleep. Make a healthy sleep routine. Don’t lay there scrolling on your phone or iPad. Close your eyes and rest. It’s the way God designed your body. It’s your rebooting time. Sleep is essential to function well.

8. TAKE YOUR VITAMINS

We live in a fast paced world. We are all guilty of putting too much of the wrong food in, and not enough of the good. Most of us do not get the right amount of nutrients needed. So, start with a one a day. Take a vitamin. 

9. EAT HEALTHIER

Sugar is my go to. I am so guilty of choosing the worst foods. I want all the French fries, and pizza. 😆 All the foods that research has shown to pull you down in body and mind. So, I have to put a lot of effort into being intentional about what I am putting into my body. Some days I do better than others, but I keep trying because I know it makes a difference in how I feel. So, start small if you must, but start somewhere throughout your day by choosing foods that will make you feel better. 

10. FEEL

I’m going to end on this one. I am so guilty of not allowing myself to feel the feelings. I somewhere along the way decided that as a Christian there are certain feelings I’m just not supposed to feel because I am more than a conqueror through Jesus. And that just isn’t the case. Yes, the verse is true, but it doesn’t mean we don’t feel. Even Jesus dealt with the feelings. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. In the garden he prayed until his sweat were as drops of blood surrendering to the Father’s will.  The Lord himself allowed his people time to grieve. We find that example with the death of Moses, and others. 

So, allow yourself to feel the feelings, just don’t take up residence there and forget to incorporate the other important habits. Make yourself take a shower, and brush your teeth on the hardest days. Pray. Call a friend. You don’t have to conquer the world every single day.

The 10 things listed above are some of the areas of my own life where I am choosing to be intentional. There are more, like going for walks. The list could go on, and you will find your own areas to be intentional in, but hopefully this will be a helpful list in getting you started on your journey to beat discouragement. “In all things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”(Romans 8:37) We are conquerors because we are not in this alone. Determine in your heart to choose one area to work on, and after you’ve made that a habit, add another area to work on. Jesus thought you were worth dying for, so look in the mirror, and see how much you are worth to him. Find the strength inside of you to live intentionally, and help others along the way. You are walking toward your testimony. Embrace the journey, and then find fulfillment in helping others.❤️

ARE YOU READY TO BEAT DISCOURAGEMENT?

So, here we are, a season of feeling discouraged. No one wants to talk about it. Why would a Christian ever hit a season of feeling discouraged, right? Yet here we are, walking it out. Not wanting to share it with anyone because being here must obviously mean we’ve failed in some way. That is obviously what everyone will think anyway, right? And there is no way possible we would ever admit to failing. 😲 Nope. That can’t be it.

I want to start with the very definition of discouragement. Let’s just go right to the meaning of the word, and start working our way out of this pit of despair where we’ve found ourselves wallowing. Yep, I said it, wallowing.

Discouragement- a loss of confidence or enthusiasm; dispiritedness: to deprive of courage or confidence: dishearten: to dissuade or attempt to dissuade from doing something: an attempt to prevent something by showing disapproval or creating difficulties; deterrent.

When we reveal the meaning of the word, we find the very definition of what satan wants to do to Christians.  His goal is to dishearten you, dissuade you, prevent you from moving forward in Jesus. He wants to hold you back from your full potential, your calling. He would love nothing more than to see you lose confidence and enthusiasm in the Lord of your life. He wants to separate you from your hope, and your help. His ultimate goal is to steal, kill, and destroy.  (John 10:10) Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) The very opposite of discouragement. So, now that we know the definition (revealing the source), maybe we can be more equipped to fight it. 

When asking Google what causes discouragement, it gives answers like: “fear, loss, lack of direction or purpose, chronic issues, lack of control, unhealthy relationships, loneliness, ingratitude.” While there are more reasons for discouragement, this is a good list to start evaluating our lives. What are you facing in your life right now. What season are you walking through, or just finished walking through that you feel  has led to your discouragement? Fear? Have you suffered loss in your life? Have you lost your direction? Do you feel lost searching for your purpose? Are you living on a roller coaster that is out of control? Have you isolated yourself? Have you lost your heart of thankfulness? Maybe life just hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would? There are all kinds of causes that life can throw. We have to be equipped with the whole armor of God. The helmet of salvation. The sword (the Word of God)of the spirit. The shield of faith. Having truth as your belt, and righteousness as your breastplate. Even your feet covered, and ready with the gospel of peace. Peace, just saying the word brings comfort!

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” -Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Let me tell you, I to have walked through the pit of discouragement. If I am completely honest depression has shown it’s ugly face at my door in recent months. I, like many others, have walked through this long season of sickness, so much loss, hurt on every side, and screaming uncertainty. A season where all the norms/pillars of life have been shaken. Life has thrown enough curveballs to discourage the most optimistic. So, what do we do?

🎶”Where do I go when there’s nobody else to turn to? Who do I talk to when nobody wants to listen? Who do I lean on when there’s no foundation stable? I go to the rock. I know he’s able, I go to the rock.”🎶

When discouragement hits, I tend to question what I’ve done wrong to cause me to be in this place. What life choices do I need to change? What areas am I failing? And sometimes the answer is, “Lord, I am doing the best I know how right now.” The truth is, discouragement isn’t always a direct result of bad life choices. Sometimes it is a direct result of poor choices, but not always. Discouragement can settle in from things happening around us beyond our control. So, what do we do? Just quit? Give up? Will that fix the discouragement? 

What I have found in this season, is that I have to be intentional. Intentional with my actions. Intentional with my thoughts. Intentional with every aspect of my life. Being intentional takes effort on my part, even when I don’t feel like it. Failing to be intentional in what may seem like small things can quickly send us in a downward spiral. Being intentional, especially in our thought life, isn’t a foreign concept Biblically. In Acts 26, Paul tells king Agrippa that he thinks himself happy. Philippians 4:8 says:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

If we allow it, we are constantly being fed a diet of negativity. All of the bad things being pushed to the forefront in the news, and on social media. Nothing but bills, and junk mail showing up in the mailbox. If that is our only life diet, gloom, discouragement, and despair are sure to follow. We have to take the time to evaluate our habits. Evaluate what we are putting into our mind. Evaluate our thought life. We have to find the areas that we’ve allowed to slip down that slippery slope, and we have to become intentional about committing to change them. It’s not a one and done deal. We have to adopt life habits that will literally change our way of thinking. And Jesus wants you to walk in that freedom.

This week’s homework? Evaluate. Take a good honest look at your life, and evaluate where some intentional changes can be made. In my next post, I hope to share some steps I have made in my own life that have helped immensely.