Dealing with Discouragement
Discouragement is one of Satan’s most effective weapons epically against church leaders and people in authority
I) What is discouragement?
Definition = to decrease courage; to be faint hearted; to lose hope; to be dismayed; the lace of desire to move forward or stand for convictions.
Examples of Discouragement
Acts 27:20
20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
1 Kings 19:3-4
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."
Ex 6:9
9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.
Gen 21:15-16
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob.
Stages of Discouragement
1. Mild = Minor problems or pressure which effect our emotions
2. Strong = Major problems of pressures which affect our spirit so that other will notice
3. Disabling = Overwhelming problems or pressures which drain us of spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical strength. Our hearts melt within us and we have no ability to go on.
Causes of Discouragement
• At the base of every discouragement is a lie from Satan. Fear, unbelief, bitterness, self piety or condemnation are all based on satraps lies
• The root cause is we have put down the shield of faith. ( Eph 6:16) When we lose sight of God’s ways our resources in Christ, we remove the spiritual protection of the shield of faith.
Benefit of Discouragement = it confirms our need for God
1. He will destroy our delight in temporal things:
Phil 3: 7-11… whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
2. He will destroy your confidence in human effort:
Rom 7:22-23… For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
3. He has ordained that through our weakness His strength in made perfect.
2 Cor 12:9-11…he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
II) How to Conquer Discouragement
Many basic steps must be taken to overcome discouragement. A checklist of concepts follows.
1. Remove all guilt:
1 John 1:9-10… If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
2. Take up the shield of faith:
Eph 6:16-17… In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
To take up the shield of faith means to recognize Satan’s lies and then verbally, aloud, quote God’s truth. Following are some of Satan’s fiery darts, which must be verbally responded too:
• God has left you… Heb 13:5God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
• No good will come of this… Rom 8:2828 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
• People hurt you… Eph 6:12…For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
• God is punishing you… Heb 12:6… because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
• You have not strength… 2 Cor 12:9…But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
3. Encourage you heart ion the Lord:
1 Sam 30:5-6…David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.
Gal 6:9… Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up
How do we encourage our heart in the Lord?
Let God’s spirit commune with your spirit. Do not allow your soul, (mind will and emotions) to be involved here. Your heart or soul is discouraged but your spirit is not. Spend time praying in your prayer language. Pray some scripture aloud
Scripture suggestions: Meditate on these scriptures each night. It is at night we face the strongest attack of discouragement.
• Failure and sin Psalms 51 or 32
• Rejection by friends Psalms 55 or 35
• Slander against you Psalms 59 or 38
4. Set up a place to be alone with God…Luke 6:12…One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
5. Remove yourself from fearful people as much as possible. Fearful people spread their fear among others and into your heart. Deut 20:8… Then the officers shall add, "Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his brothers will not become disheartened too."
6. Read biographies of Great Christian for encouragement: 2 Cor 1:3-4… Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
7. Avoid major decisions during discouragement: 2 Chron 30:11-12… Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.
1 Cor 1:10…I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
8. Overcome the pride of not telling your authorities, family or friends that you are discouraged and need their prayers. Your honesty in sharing needs will help others to overcome their own pride.
Prov 16:18… Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
9. Focus on God’s reputation Isa 17:7…At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
10. Focus on your position in Christ:
• Consider what Christ endured in order to glorify God and secure you salvation. Heb 12:2… Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Freedom of Being in Christ
God’s Work in Christ Our Responsibility Basic Principle
Crucified Arm yourself with the same mind 1 Peter 4:1 Authority; Clear Conscience
Dead Reckon yourself dead to sin: Romans 6:11 Meditation
Buried Put off the old man: Eph 4:22 Moral Freedom
Raised Set your affections on things above: Col 3:2 Rights & Forgiveness
Seated Come boldly into God’s presence: Heb 4:16 Self-Image
11. Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to God: recall God’s blessings: thank him for what he has done. 1 Thess 5:18… In every thing, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
12. Remember the principal of birth, death and fulfillment of a vision: (Abraham, Moses, Disciples)
• God will give you a vision of how you can effectively be used by him
• God will them allow you to experience the death of a vision to build character in your life
• God will then fulfill His vision through you in a supernatural way.
13. Understand how God can use your problems or pressures for your good.
Rom 8:28-29… And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Altar:
Pray against discouragement
Note this maerial is based on Basic youth conflicts Bill Gothard
