“Discouragement always displaces hope and leaves you feeling something like this: It’s not working, so what’s the point?”

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Locations 2799-2800). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

I have had the potential for discouragement a few times this week. We overspent this last weekend and I knew that we were going to be real tight till the next paycheck. I don’t do real well with that. But we set up a plan and we are making it. Many of you understand the discouragement of not have enough money to live on.

My wife, Margaret has been having some real trouble with her shoulder. It even wakes her up in the night. The physical therapy is real painful and doesn’t seem to be working and that can be very discouraging for her. We’re working through that and headed into another plan of attack. But many of you understand the discouragement of pain.

Yesterday I had some trouble in finding the right thought to write on and I was tempted to stop. The hopeless feeling of not knowing what to do can be discouraging. But I found something and it was exactly what some of you needed and you shared with me that fact. Many of you are discouraged in your work.

Discouragement comes in so many different ways as I’m sure some of you are feeling today and it can lead you to the point of asking, “It’s not working, so what’s the point?” Is that where you are today? I know some of you are there because I was lead to share this thought for you. God works that way.

One thing Steven says is, “remember—the Enemy’s goal goes way beyond putting you in a bad mood temporarily. He’s trying to talk you out of trusting God’s plan for your life at a foundational level. And he’s not just trying to derail you. He aims to limit the impact God wants to make through you and beyond you.”

Life is tough. It was tough for the Apostle Paul, it was tough for Mother Teresa and it was tough for Jesus. As Steven says, “But discouragement need not be a dead end. Properly navigated, it can become a doorway to discovering the comfort and courage of Christ in untold measures.”

Don’t give up. Remember these three encouraging thoughts that Steven gives, “1. You’re doing better than you think you are. 2. It’s less about you than you think it is. 3. You matter more than you think you do.”

Hold in there. What you are going though is not a dead end. And you are not alone.

So how are you doing?

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