Discouraged?
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV.
Some time ago the Hayden Planetarium in New York City invited all those interested in being part of the first spaceship crew to go to another planet to fill out an application. Eighteen thousand people filled out applications. Those applications were given to a group of psychologists who attempted to determine the reasons the people applied. They determined the vast majority of them applied because they were so discouraged with their lives that they were hoping to start a new life somewhere else.
All of us have been discouraged at one point or another. Many of the great servants of God in the Bible had times of discouragement. Even our Lord wept over Jerusalem. So, what should we do if we are discouraged?
First, acknowledge the problem but don’t dwell upon it. Don’t put all of your focus upon the problem itself but focus instead upon the Lord and His resources. Jesus wept over Jerusalem but He didn’t sit there all day crying. He got up and went down into the city. There were some things He needed to do.
Second, remind yourself of your abilities, your assets. David did this in 1 Samuel 30. He reminded himself of the things that were still his. Just because you miss the plane doesn’t mean you have to cancel the whole vacation. Regroup!
Third, take a long and wide look at the possibilities. We know that God promises to bring good out of the bad for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. So, what is the good? Where is the good? Look around until you see it.
Whatever your discouragement God does have the power to hold you together. It may very well be that out of the blackest day of your life there is a dawn waiting to burst forth. Cast all your cares, all your anxiety, all your worries, all your problems, all your discouragement upon God!