If
you
want to be successful in any part of your life, it is essential
that you defend
against discouragement. Over
the last
thirty years, discouragement has been my biggest enemy. Here are two of the best
lessons that I have
learned to help get me through.
First,
we must realize that our influence only goes so far. We like to think that if we
do the right
things we will get our desired result, but that is not always
true. Consider Jotham,
King of Judah. 2
Chronicles 27 says that he, “Did what was
right in the eyes of the Lord” (verse 2a).
That same verse goes on to note that, “The people, however,
continued in
their corrupt practices!” (verse 2b).
For people who like to be in control, this is a hard truth,
but you
cannot make anyone do anything. All
you
really control is you. The
sooner we
accept that, the better off we will be.
Second,
we must nurture a sense of expectation and hope. Without this, we will not
survive! This hope
is not based on what I can do, push, or produce. Rather it rests on the fact
that God is
always at work (John 5:17) and therefore anything can happen!
Exodus
17 finds God’s people wandering around in the desert thirsty and
discouraged. They have no
hope. Moses asks God what
he should do, and this is
the response: “Take your walking stick… and strike the rock and
water will come
out of it for the people to drink!”
Water from a rock is not the answer anyone expected, but it
was God’s
answer.
“Is
the
Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7).
God people must answer that question.
If we believe he is, then nothing is hopeless! Pray for God’s “open doors”
(Colossians 4:3)
and be ready for the unexpected.
When
I
have tried to force results, I have often ended up defeated and
discouraged. When I have
done my best
and believed that God was at work, I have been pleasantly
surprised by
the results. The challenge
of faith is
to live every day trusting God’s plan and not our own.
When
we
learn to do that, discouragement will have a hard time reaching
us.
“So,
my
dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work
enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do
for the Lord is
ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
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