Posts Tagged ‘discouragement’

I’m a Winner!

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
Wanna know what really excites me? Having the confidence that victory is mine no matter what. As a child of God, nothing—absolutely nothing—can wrestle me to the ground and keep me down.  

I’m not claiming to have a problem-free life. I face ups and downs like everyone else on the planet. Discouragement hits me when circumstances don’t turn out the way I wish they would. Chronic physical pain makes it difficult to roll out of bed some mornings. Concerns about extended family members’ health and spiritual well-being weigh me down. These issues present ongoing challenges, but they cannot defeat me. Why am I so sure of this?

Because the God I serve is a God of victory.

Psalm 97:1-3 says, “Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory, his holy arm has shown his saving power! The LORD has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.”

God is a God of victory. That makes me, His daughter, a guaranteed winner, too, because He fights on my behalf. When circumstances discourage me, I call on Him for help and He rushes to my rescue. He might choose not to deliver me from my situation, but He always proves faithful in the midst of it. He gives me strength. He promises wisdom. And He grants hope. Even if bad things happen, He’s able to turn them into something good and of eternal value. The word loser is not in His vocabulary, unless, of course, it’s used to describe Satan.

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Are you walking in obedience to His Word? If so, then you’re a guaranteed winner, too. Nothing can keep you down or hold you back. God is on your side, my friend. Revel in that knowledge and let it fill you with confidence today.

How does the truth of guaranteed victory encourage you in the midst of your present circumstances?

 

Thanks to the Cross of Christ, we have guaranteed victory! (Taken at Cedar Springs, Washington)

 

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What is God Like?

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

If someone asked you to write a paragraph describing God’s character, what would you write? Here’s what the Psalmist penned:

“Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens…All heaven will praise your great wonders, LORD; myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness. For who in all of heaven can compare with the LORD? What mightiest angel is anything like the LORD? The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne. O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O LORD? You are entirely faithful.”

The author repeats one characteristic several times – faithfulness. Unlike humans who make promises and fail to deliver or who turn their backs on those who depend on them, God remains true forever and ever, amen.

According to the Psalmist, the highest angelic powers stand in awe of God because of who He is. Today, allow your heart to do the same. Take a moment to meditate on His faithfulness to you in the past and present. Thank Him in advance for His faithfulness in the future. Write a prayer of praise to Him, telling Him what you appreciate about Him and acknowledging Him as God over all. Doing so will help chase away negative thoughts and discouragement and restore peace and joy.

I pray that the greatness of God will be the wind beneath your wings today, my friend!

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Losing One’s Footing

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Have you ever felt yourself emotionally, mentally or spiritually slip into a negative space? Have you ever experienced a loss of perspective that resulted in discouragement or despair? I have. Quite honestly, many writers often struggle with this.

We spend hours in solitary confinement writing a message we believe could give direction, bring hope or change lives. We do our homework, researching the best markets for those messages. We attend writers conferences to learn more about our trade. We wrestle to understand and adjust to ever-changing technology and its effect on individual writers and the publishing industry at large. All this while trying to meet the expectations and financial burdens placed on us to market our work due to constraints on our publishers’ budgets. And then we receive the inevitable rejections, the polite no from editors. It’s easy to lose our footing, to grow discouraged, to lose sight of our calling, and to go out in search of a “real job.”

The Psalmist dealt with the same feelings but for a different reason. He’d poured his heart and soul into following God and obeying His commands. He’d done his best to live in integrity, developing and guarding an untarnished reputation. But then he began to question the effort he’d exerted. He wrote, “But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness…” (Psalm 73:2,3).

Comparing his lot as a God-fearing man to the prosperity of those who ignored God’s ways left him frustrated and envious. He asked tough questions such as, “Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?” He began slipping into the abyss of discouragement, wondering if his efforts to follow God were worth it, but then he caught himself. He wrote, “Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked…Then I realized that my heart was bitter and I was all torn up inside” (vv. 17,21).

What enabled the Psalmist to realize his precarious position? Spending time in God’s presence. Doing so renewed his perspective. It helped him realize the slippery path he’d followed and the lies he’d believed about the prosperity of the wicked.

The Psalmist then regained his footing by reviewing assurances of God’s love toward him. “Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand,” he wrote. “You guide me with your counsel; leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever…But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do!” (vv. 23-26,28).

When I, as writer, feel my footing slip…when I allow circumstances within the publishing industry to discourage me…when I begin to question my calling…I must do as the Psalmist did and go into God’s sanctuary. I must withdraw for a time, pour over the Word, and seek God’s face in prayer. Doing so renews my perspective. It helps identify the places in my heart that need revival. And it reminds me that God loves me no matter how many books sell or how many contracts I carry. He holds my hand. He guides me with his counsel and leads me to a glorious destiny. Relationship with Him is to be desired and treasured above success by human standards.

This is where my heart is today. I received a rejection on my latest book proposal last night, and I’m seeking God’s face regarding where and how to proceed from here. If I focus on rejection and disappointment, I’ll surely lose my footing. But if I keep my perspective in the right place, my heart will be strengthened in Him. No matter what happens, God loves me and I am His.

How’s your heart? Have you felt your footing slip for some reason lately? If so, how did you regain your perspective?

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Dealing with Discouragement

Monday, June 21st, 2010

What do you do when you feel discouraged?

(a)   Devour a bowlful (nay, a gallon) of your favorite ice cream

(b)  Take a long walk

(c)   Unload on a friend

(d)  Crank up your favorite praise and worship music

(e)   Take a nap

(f)   All of the above

(g)  None of the above

Our means of dealing with discouragement varies because we’re all different. As for me, I’ll go for a walk to clear my brain. I may even treat myself to a Tim Horton’s iced cappuccino. But more often than not, I’ll pray something like, “God, you know how I’m feeling right now. Thank You that I’m not alone. You’re with me and will give me the wisdom and where-with-all to get through this situation. Keep my eyes focused on You and Your promises rather than on my cause for discouragement.” Then I “pull up my big girl pants” and forge ahead.

Different people do different things when discouragement strikes. Take a look at Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 19. He’d just experienced a landslide victory over the false god Baal. You’d think he’d feel like a world-conqueror now, but not so. His victory triggered a death threat from Queen Jezebel, and fear overwhelmed him. Personally, I think the guy was emotionally and physically spent from the battle with Baal’s false prophets; he couldn’t even think clearly at this point.

Elijah allowed Queen Jezebel’s threat to intimidate him. His discouragement level soared, and he ran away to who-knows-where. At one point he parted company with his servant and continued the journey alone. Verse 4 says, “Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.’”

Elijah’s discouragement topped the scale. What might he have done to prevent that from happening? Here are my thoughts…

  • He might have refused to let Jezebel’s threat paralyze him by choosing to recall God’s mighty display of power in the battle against Baal.
  • He might have kept company with his servant rather than isolating himself.
  • He might have rested rather than traveling all day in the wilderness.
  • He might have changed his prayer from “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life,” to “I’ve had enough, Lord. Please take over because I don’t feel I can go on.”

I realize it’s easy for me to analyze Elijah’s situation and say what he should or should not have done. While I don’t mean to pronounce judgment on him, I believe there are some good principles to learn from his experience. Like…when circumstances discourage us, let’s choose not to focus on them but on the character of God, the Overcomer. Let’s refuse to isolate ourselves. Let’s care for our well-being though proper rest, nutrition, and exercise (how often does discouragement set in because we’re run down?). And let’s tell God exactly how we feel but not stop there – let’s always turn our focus back to Him and His ability to see us through.

How about you? What do you do when you feel discouraged?

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Created to Serve Him

Monday, September 28th, 2009

I spent the weekend in Alberta with an amazing group of women from the Airdrie Alliance Church. The weekend’s theme was Born to S.H.O.P. (Serve Him on Purpose), and what a fun theme that was! Here are a couple of highlights from the sessions:

  • If we want to S.H.O.P effectively, we must be others-focused. In a society that says we have every right to pursue our own safety, comfort, and pleasure, it’s difficult to remember that others should come first. One look at Christ’s example, however, proves this is true if we claim to be His servants.  
  • If we want to S.H.O.P. effectively, we must keep our friendship with God our first priority. Many times the work we do for Him takes precedence over our relationship with Him, and then we wonder why our enthusiasm fades and our energy dies. Keeping first things first is the sure cure.
  • If we want to S.H.O.P. effectively, we must say yes when He gives us an assignment, and then trust Him to work out the details.

I think the weekend’s theme fits well with Isaiah 41:8 – “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from my friend Abraham, I have called you back from the ends of the earth so you can serve me. For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Sometimes serving God seems too risky, too time-consuming, costly, and exhausting. We feel overworked, misunderstood, and underappreciated. Before long, discouragement sets in and we feel like resigning. When that happens (or maybe before it gets that far), we ought to reread this verse and take heart.

God’s purpose for us is that we serve Him. For some, that means caring for small children in the home. For others, it means helping senior parents, or driving tweens to and from extra-curriculars. It may mean cooking a meal for a grieving family, visiting a shut-in, or befriending the grumpy neighbor across the street.

Whatever the serving situation, it’s likely we’ll face a few challenges along the way. Sometimes those challenges are easily overcome; sometimes not. In that event, we can be encouraged with the knowledge that God’s presence is with us. He will strengthen us, help us, and hold us in His victorious hand. What more do we need as ammo for successful servanthood? But guess what…it gets even better! If we’re faithful to Him, then Isaiah 41:16 holds true – “And the joy of the LORD will fill you to overflowing and you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.”

Wow – God calls us to serve Him, equips us with everything we need to do it, and then He fills us with overflowing joy. Sounds like a good deal to me. Here’s a question to toss around: What challenges have you faced in serving God? How did you see God’s promises to strengthen and help you fulfilled?

Scenery along Highway 1 as I drove from Calgary to Abbotsford.

Scenery along Highway 1 as I drove from Calgary to Abbotsford.

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Feeling Feeble?

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Several times a week I walk around a local park for exercise. I love the community atmosphere – I see young moms pushing strollers, teens on rollerblades, joggers of all ages, seniors in electric scooters, and people with special needs.

On occasion I see elderly folks moving along, slowly but surely, while leaning on their walkers for support. This equipment is especially necessary if their balance is tipsy or their legs are feeble and prone to buckle beneath them. The walker steadies them and enables them to enjoy God’s creation rather than be confined to the indoors.

Now transfer this picture to a spiritual analogy. Psalm 40:2 says, “He (God) lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.”

Life sometimes hands us experiences that make us feel feeble and frail. The muck of discouragement sucks our feet down, and it’s difficult to stand, let alone move forward. Our knees buckle under us, especially if we’re carrying a weight of fear or guilt.

Thankfully we don’t have to live as feeble women because God’s Word has made a wonderful promise: God will steady us. When we’re feeling weak, He will be our strength. When we’re feeling unable to stand, He will be our stability.

How does God do this? Often it’s through a meaningful Scripture at just the right time, through the lyrics of a special song, or through the words spoken by a friend or even a stranger. In my case, I usually experience His steadying hand through a Bible verse that seems written especially for me and my circumstances. My journal is filled with verses that have given me strength for my walk.

Have you experienced His promise to steady you during a difficult time? Encourage us by sharing that story with us!

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Wait on the Lord

Saturday, March 14th, 2009

Saturday – March 14

 I’m in Everett, Washington as I write this. It’s only 7:15 a.m., so morning is just beginning to break outside. The group for which I’m speaking this weekend made reservations for me in a hotel overlooking a marina. The empty berths are waiting expectantly for summer sailboats to drift in and take up residence. The seagulls are singing wake-ups calls as they soar on the breeze. Reminds me of living on Quadra Island.

(more…)

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