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"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10 NLT
☼ Rest in God's presence. Ultimately, being in God's presence is the antidote to any poisonous words, thoughts, and/or situations that the enemy tries to use against you. In God's presence there is peace, power, protection, and provision. What you need during a time of discouragement, is the LORD. Nothing and no one else will do. Now, I say that and also have four other tips in this post for you to try during discouraging times, but, truly, God, your Father, Jesus your Savior, and the Holy Spirit, your Intercessor, are all you need to deter discouragement. "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11 NIV)
☼ Rename your circumstance. God is known for renaming (Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Saul became Paul to name a few) and seeing our situations differently than we see them. He renames because He sees the greater purpose. If we took our current circumstance and saw it through the lens of Christ, we might just be able to rename it, too. We may see that our circumstance isn't punishment but preparation. It isn't failure but an opportunity for faith growth. It isn't a decrease of _______ but an increase of ________. It isn't a mess but a masterpiece. It isn't the end but a beginning. "Nations will see your righteousness and all kings, your glory. You will be given a new name that the Lord’s mouth will announce...You will no longer be called Deserted, and your land will not be called Desolate; instead, you will be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land will be married." (Isaiah 62:2,4 CSB) Go ahead. Try it. Rename your circumstance, and in doing so, you may just see the greater purpose destined for you instead of discouragement.
☼ Give glory to God. Giving glory to God in the midst of a discouraging situation is probably one of the most--if not the most--powerful tool you possess. Thanking Him, praising Him, worshiping Him, acknowledging Him, and sharing the Good News of Christ are all ways to give God glory. "With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death." (Psalm 86:12-13 NLT) The more glory you give, the more likely you'll see God at work for your good.
☼ Bless others. Look for ways to bless, benefit, and/or serve others. This may appear counterintuitive or contradicting in some way, especially when you're feeling discouraged, but when you take the focus off of yourself and put it towards making someone else's life better, you'll find out quick that this is the exact remedy you need to lift your spirits. "A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches. A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself." (Proverbs 11:16-17 ESV) Don't allow your discouraging situation dictate the way you live. Keep living for Christ and keep sharing His love to lift up others. In the process, you will find yourself blessed.
☼ Surround yourself with encouraging people. What we consume, we become, and that includes the kind of company we keep. Seek out genuinely positive, uplifting, supporting, encouraging, safe and godly people to be in community with you. Share openly any feelings of discouragement. Have them pray for you and with you. God designed us to desire community not isolation. Let people love you and uplift you during this difficult season. It not only gives them purpose, but also gives you strength to endure. "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." (2 Corinthians 13:11 NIV)
"For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.
Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather,
we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.
For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
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