Overcoming Discouragement Through the Exchanged Life
More people are defeated by discouragement than by any other thing. C.S. Lewis in his famous "Screwtape Letters" writes about wormwood’s (the devil)most effective tool to derail Christians is the wedge of discouragement. Let us exchange our emotional, mental and circumstantial discouragement with the encouragement we have in Christ.
Paul writes, "Since we have encouragement in Christ, fellowship of the Spirit, His affection and compassion. Make our joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in Spirit, intent on one purpose." (Phil. 2:1,2)
Let us ask God for helping in exchanging these elements of discouragement with Christlike perspectives, attitudes and actions this week:
1. Discouragement for Encouragement in Christ (Phil. 2:1-5)
2. Delusions for His truth, hope, love and correct beliefs (2 Tim. 2:15)
3. Distortions for His discernment (Phil. 1:9-11)
4. Destructive attitudes for His constructive motivations of compassion (Eph. 4:22-32)
5. Despair for hope in God (Rom 15:13)
6. Deleterious attitudes for Spirit led desires and actions (Rom. 8:6-8)
7. Distress for His comfort, encouragement and consolation (2 Cor. 1:3,4)
8. Discontent for His contentment (Phil. 4:12,13)
9. Disharmony for harmony with others (Phil. 2:2)
10. Disgracefulness for His honor, favor and blessings (Psa. 103:1,2)
11. Degrading with His purity (Matt 5:6-8)
12. Discredit for His credibility, reward and approval (I Cor. 3:1-10)
13. Discourteousness for His courtesy, respect and deference to authority (Rom 13)
14. Disproportionate with keeping things in His perspective (Matt 6:33)
15. Disjoined with united with the members of the body of Christ (I Cor 12)
16. Distracted with concentrating on things above. (Col. 3:1-4)
17. Depleted with filled with the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23)
18. Disinclined with perseverance (Eph. 6:18)
19. Disarmed with taking up the full armor of God. (Eph. 6:10-18)
20. Disdain with His love (I Cor. 13:4-7)
21. Desires in the world for the desires of the Father (I John 2:15,16)
22. Disgruntled with thankfulness (I Thes. 5:16-18)
23. Diseased with His healing, health and wholeness (I Thes. 5:24)
24. Dismissive of people with listening (James 1:19)
25. Detached with being doers of the word (James 1:22)
26. Denigrating others with building others up (Eph. 4-5)
27. Dissent with agreeing on what is essential (Rom. 14)
28. Distraught with hope in God (Psa 42)
29. Discord with peacemaking (Matt 5:8-10)
30. Danger with His safety (Psa 46:1,2)
31. Distasteful with wholesomeness (Matt 5:5-8)
32. Dishonorable with honorable (Col. 1:9-11)
33. Dreary with cheery (Phil. 4:4)
34. Detached with fellowshipping with the godly (2 Tim. 3:10)
35. Desires for possessions with sowing the seeds of the gospel (Mark 4:1-22)
36. Dismayed with be not dismayed for I am your God (Isa 41:10)
37. Divisive with unifying work and expressions (Heb. 10:24,25)
38. Debauchery with purity (Eph. 5:1,2)
39. Darkness with the light of God (Psa 27:1,2)
40. Destitute with the Lord is My Shepherd I shall not want. (Psa 23)
41. Disoriented with oriented toward Christ (Phil. 1:21)
42. Distracted with focus on Christ and His plans (Heb. 12:1,2)
43. Derogatory speech with edifying speech (Eph. 4:11-15)
44. Detrimental actions, thoughts and attitudes with positive thoughts (Phil. 4:8)
45. Doubting actions, thoughts and attitudes with let not your heart be trouble, believe in God. (John 14:1,2)
46. Displeasing attitudes with Pleasing God in all respects (Col. 1:9-11)
47. Dissuaded with persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him. (2 Tim. 1:12)
48. Disqualified with remaining fit to finish the race (I Cor. 9:24-27)
49. Defeat with victory in Jesus. (I Cor. 15:57)
50. Distant from God with draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8-12)
