Handling discouraging situations is hard. Sometimes you just want to give up. Here is where to look when you are feeling overwhelmed and need some encouragement!
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We’ve all been there. Burned out, tired, sick, fighting a discouraging battle that feels like a mountain.
I recently experienced this. I’m typically a “grit and stick” (grit your teeth and stick to it) kind of gal, but this time I felt the wind had been knocked out of me. And I didn’t know what to do.
Facing a Discouraging Situation
I got sick. Two of my boys had been sick and then I came down with the same bug they did. Worst possible timing because we had a family gathering coming up. One that had taken careful organization so we could go.
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My husband had to work, which meant I would be flying solo. But I wanted to go, so despite feeling rough, I packed us up and managed to get us there. We had a lovely time and although we were tired, it was a good weekend.
I was worn out though. We came home Christmas Eve and I tried to get myself organized and focused for the next day.
By the time I sat down that night, I started to have funny tooth pain. Christmas morning at 1 am and the pain was unbearable. Christmas Day, I was counting the minutes until I could take another painkiller because it was so bad. My face looked like a chipmunk, I could barely eat soup and all I wanted to do was sleep.
Fortunately, I found an emergency dentist for the next day and got antibiotics for an infected wisdom tooth. I likely would need to have the tooth pulled but that was better saved for a day when I could open my mouth all the way.
It was a frustrating time. I prayed but I couldn’t help feeling sorry for myself. Christmas was in many ways, ruined. As hard as I tried to dwell on the blessings we had, I still felt slighted. All the work and effort I had put into it, the plans of things I still wanted to do. None of those came to fruition.
And there in the back of my mind was the whisper “Christmas is ruined, just give up.”
Spiritual Warfare
I just had a conversation with my mum about spiritual warfare. How the devil will use things against us. Things like a simple illness that he twists and turns to make us feel alone and disappointed.
He knows how to seep into our weaknesses and exploit them. He senses where he can wedge his knife to make a crack.
And there I was, lying on the couch, letting that serpent slither into my Christmas.
It was a battle and it was one I could not fight. I did not have the energy. My body was fighting to recover from illness and an infection.
So as I lay there, I turned to God. I handed it to Him. And instead of watching TV or scrolling social media, I read Psalms.
God’s Armour
God’s word is our armour. It is our sword and our shield. It is our comfort and our strength. At those times when we feel attacked, if we steep ourselves in what God has to say, it fills our minds with His teachings.
It forces out the negative thoughts, the insecurities and the doubts. The devil can’t play mind games with you if your mind is focused on God.
But we have to open the bible and read it to unlock this power. We have to spend time getting to know God. We have to let Him fight our battle.
What Should You Read? Psalms!
Psalms is a good place to start. Many of the Psalms are written by David and they speak of fear and persecution. But they also speak of God’s wonderful hand of protection and love.
When our enemy closes in on us, it is good to know we aren’t alone.
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
Psalms 9:9
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Sometimes we need to feel close to God but don’t want to do a full bible study. When our head and heart are fighting a battle, we need something easy to read. Something that still points to God but doesn’t require additional study.
Turn to Psalms in these times. Read them to yourself. You don’t need to do anything except start from Psalm 1 and read as much as you can. Whether it’s one verse or several chapters, let God’s word fill your mind.
Keep them close, grab some scripture cards to put around your home so you can be reminded of His promises in the Psalms!
The book of Psalms quickly became my go-to book of the Bible for days when I was facing a discouraging situation.
Be Mindful of Your Thoughts
Don’t get sucked into feeling sorry for yourself, don’t mindlessly stare at a screen or get angry. As tempting as those things are, they are not how God wants us to react.
God doesn’t promise to remove our obstacles and mountains, but he does promise to give us strength to endure them. His joy is our strength. His love is our strength. His peace is our strength.
When you feel lost and lonely, if you’re sick and worn out, if life has thrown you one curve ball after another, don’t despair. Don’t let your mind wander into the abyss of fear and disappointment. Turn to God. Read his word until your heart lightens.
Fill Your Mind With God’s Teaching and Don’t Give Up
Our battles do not have to be fought alone. There are times when we can fight them with God’s help and there will be times when we have to hand them over to God’s complete control. However we are fighting, we need to fill our minds with God’s teachings. We cannot let ourselves fall victim to the snares set by our adversary. If we let our battles overwhelm us, we will be defeated.
But if we raise them to God and read His word, keeping it close to our hearts, we will not be overcome.
God is always with you, feel His presence as you read His word and be strengthened by Him! Remember, if you are struggling and feel the need to read something, start with Psalms. Let it fill your heart and mind. Don’t let your battle discourage you; don’t give up. Don’t fall into the trap the devil sets for you. Keep your eyes, ears and mind on God!
God will always be with you and He will always fight for you! Don’t give up!
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