Fighting Discouragement Without Giving Up
Have you ever felt like giving up? I have. And I could give you mounds and mounds of evidence to justify why I felt that way. But giving up would not have really proved to be solution.
In this life, we experience trials, pain, sadness and grief.
At times these things seem to overwhelm us. That’s when we are tempted to give
up, throw in the towel and conclude that our situation is hopeless.
Discouragement is a universal problem. As Christians, we must deal with discouragement without giving up. Even the most devout saint, including pastors, can have inner wounds that are difficult to overcome.
Discouragement doesn’t just happen. It has many causes. Broken relationships, loneliness, sin, guilt, frustration and financial pressures are just a few of them. Yet no matter what factors contribute to it, we can always have hope because God is on our side. The Word of God provides comfort and reassurance that God will always be there to help us through our struggles. We can claim healing over our troubled hearts, because God’s purpose for our life will be fulfilled.
Trials are a part of the Christian life. Show me a saint who is never tempted to give up, and I’ll show you a saint who has dropped out of the race. By going through trials, we learn to trust God more. We enter into God’s peace through the doorway of adversity. Therefore, we can always maintain a spirit of rejoicing, because we know that the ultimate outcome will work in our favor.
We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulations worketh patience, and patience experience; and experience hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Romans 2: 3-5. Although we may start with a struggle, we know that we are working toward a mature end.
One of the goals of Gospel Warriors Ministries is to reach out to hurting people with words of life and peace. While trying to fulfill this calling, I often have a number of hurts going on in my very own life. I have secretly how I could help hurting people when I’m hurting myself. The Lord revealed to me that if I waiting until I was trouble free before I tried to help someone, I would never get anything done. A victorious Christian life doesn’t mean a trouble free life. It doesn’t mean that we won’t feel despair and panic. It doesn’t mean we won’t experience anger and frustration. Regardless to what’s going on in our life, we never give up, because God is working for our good.
We need to understand that healing is a process. Sure, there are times when God brings about a miraculous deliverance. But more often than not, healing is a process. And that process takes us through the pathway of discouragement. In fact, many individuals who are instantly healed of various ailments, will have to battle with those same symptoms in order to hold on to their deliverance. It is worth it to not give up, but it is not always easy.
We are all hurting in one way or another, and we cannot drink it or drug it away. We all know the story of the prodigal son, and how that father never gave up on him. He kept waiting and watching until he received his son home safe. Then he rejoiced.
The one thing that is not obvious is the hurt that father went through. I assure you that from the day that boy received his inheritance and walked away until the day he returned home smelling like a pig, that father’s heart was in pain.
It is discouraging to deal with a rebellious child, but God doesn’t want us to give up on them. It is painful to have your son or daughter reject the wisdom of your counsel, but you can’t give up on them. It hurts to have your children, who were once tender and sweet, lie to you and turn into a delinquent. But we can’t give up on them.
When we are really hurting, no person on earth can really understand the inner fears that plague us. Our closest friends may try to encourage us, but it only relieves us temporarily. Only God can breakthrough the depression and loneliness that weighs us down. He alone can heal a bruised and broken heart. We suffer silently until God steps in and gives perspective and stability. He embraces us before we reach the breaking point. He wraps His loving arms around us, and causes our hurting mind and body to rise up on the wings of His divine protection. He bottles up our tears (Psalms 56:8), and gives us beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3).
I think that one reason we sometimes struggle is because we truly love the Lord. It is easy to see why the prophet Jonah got into trouble. God gave him a job to do and he went the opposite way. He ended up shipwrecked and in the belly of a big fish; all because he was a disobedient prejudice person, who was unwilling to share the love of God with a nation in need. But we aren’t like Jonah. We love God and readily obey Him. We are faithful in attendance, devotions and giving. We are not running or rejecting Him in any way. We don’t deserve to hurt, yet we are continually and consistently buffeted. We find that solutions don’t come easy, and fix-everything prayers don’t always work. You read some book that says "release your faith, claim the promise, confess the cure ad just walk away from your troubles." Yeah, right.
I have heard that time heals all wounds. That sounds good, but it has never worked out in my life. In fact, it got worse with time. God alone can bring about healing, and put the pieces back together again. We need to stop trying to explain why we are hurting. Whether it is right or wrong doesn’t really change anything. All that matters is that we not give up, maintain our willingness to move on in God and trust Him to work all things for our good. ...think it not strange concerning the fiery trials which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy
1 Peter 4: 12,13.
God didn’t promise to give us a painless way of life. He never told us that we wouldn’t face discouragement or be tempted to give up. But He did let us know that we would face no temptation but such as is common to man. But God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape that ye will be able to bear it 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Sometimes we honestly do our best, and things just blow up in our face. Prior to the explosion, we were confident we moved out in God’s will. But now it doesn’t seem so clear. God handpicked Judas. His destiny was to become a mighty man of God. What started out wonderful ended up a disaster because Judas "gave up" on God’s plan.
Let’s stop worrying about what went wrong. God is watching over you with unwavering eyes. He feels every hurt and interprets every groan. He knows how much we can bear, and would never overload our circuits. God loves us eternally, therefore we can be sure that no weapon formed against us shall prosper Isaiah 58:17.
By: Edmund Brown