Changi Chapel

Think of discouragement as your faith being choked. Then it’s time to fight, not pout or shrink.

When you’re choking, it’s not the time to plop down in front of the TV with a plate of comfort food to medicate your melancholy. You need to dislodge the obstruction so you can breathe. You need to fight for life.

Discouragement is a temptation “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13). And in dealing with it sometimes we need tenderness and other times we need toughness.

But either way discouragement is not to be tolerated or wallowed in. It’s to be fought.
If we linger in discouragement it can be costly.

Its sense of defeat and hopelessness saps us of energy and vision. It can keep us from doing what we need to do because we don’t want to face it. And it can even be contagious, weakening others’ faith.

Go get encouragement — faith-fueled courage. Don’t let discouragement choke you. It’s dislodged by believing God’s promises.

God gave us the Bible so that “through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

Don’t let your heart be ruled by what you see. Let it be ruled by what Jesus promises you – clearly and specifically in Scripture. 

Discouragement is a choice tool in the hands of Satan – will you fight him or surrender today?

Jon Bloom
Desiring God Ministries
Minneapolis, MN

© Jon Bloom. Adapted and excerpted from his recent writings.

Your comments, thoughts or suggestions are welcome. The body text is by the author, the header and the words in italics are mine – John B. Samuel