4 Ways To Overcome Discouragement
By Emily Cummins
It was a regular Monday morning, but I just couldn’t shake the icy grip of agitation clinging to my shoulders like a tightly knit sweater. My emotions felt itchy, tingling with unanswered questions, changing seasons and the fear that I just wouldn’t measure up. I honed in on the uncomfortability. I focused on what I didn’t know. I took my eyes off of truth. And I lost sight of who God made me to be.
Discouraging moments like this come and go for all of us. And somewhere along the way, we’ve been fed a lie that we should get rid of them all together. However, I’ve come to discover that it’s not doing away with it but what we do with it that matters.
So, how do we overcome despair? How can we be the warriors God made us to be? Here are 4 ways we can look directly at deceptive lies of discouragement and declare victory over them in our lives.
It was a regular Monday morning, but I just couldn’t shake the icy grip of agitation clinging to my shoulders like a tightly knit sweater. My emotions felt itchy, tingling with unanswered questions, changing seasons and the fear that I just wouldn’t measure up. I honed in on the uncomfortability. I focused on what I didn’t know. I took my eyes off of truth. And I lost sight of who God made me to be.
Discouraging moments like this come and go for all of us. And somewhere along the way, we’ve been fed a lie that we should get rid of them all together. However, I’ve come to discover that it’s not doing away with it but what we do with it that matters.
So, how do we overcome despair? How can we be the warriors God made us to be? Here are 4 ways we can look directly at deceptive lies of discouragement and declare victory over them in our lives.
1. Steep your life in truth.
If there is one thing that lies cannot co-habitate with, it’s truth. Open the Word of God, soak your heart and mind in it, and embrace who Jesus is and what He says about you.
2. Memorize it.
What verses or motivational quotes can you meditate on to keep truth at the forefront of your mind? If we truly do become what we focus on, I would much rather focus my energy on empowering words than on the crippling sound of my fears. Philippians 4:8 is a great place to start: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
3. Mark it.
Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Take five minutes and reflect on the the good things that happened in the past year. As thoughts pop into your head, write them down. Write everything down from little wins, like conquering a new recipe, to the gigantic victories of overcoming a habit or forgiving someone who hurt you. After you’ve listed your items, take a step back and look at all of the good that has happened. Don’t allow temporary feelings of frustration to overshadow the incredible blessings you have experienced.
4. Look towards the sunshine.
One of my favorite quotes says it this way, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.” When we focus on the good and the positive, we can conquer anything—we can continue becoming who God has made us to be despite anything that attempts to hinder us along the way.
As we break free of anything binding us to discouragement, may we be unstoppable. May we look our fears and disappointments in the face and say, “You’re not going to win today.” And as we stand in truth, may we confidently embrace who we are and Whose we are. Because in that, dear friend, we can crush discouragement with the confidence we have in Christ.