I am so excited. My husband has decided to be a guest writer on my blog! I recently wrote a post called “Feeling Discouraged” that not only encouraged me, but it encouraged him as well. I am so excited to share with you his perspective on discouragement. I pray it blesses you. It blessed me. God’s plan for your life is not for you to be constantly discouraged but to be encouraged. Cast down all those discouraging thoughts and feelings and make them be obedient to God’s Word! Enjoy the post below from my amazing husband! 

xoxo Disa B.

At some point in our lives we have all dealt with the feeling of discouragement. Whether it’s not making the team, not getting the job, getting turned down for a date, etc. we all have experienced moments that just did not turn out the way we had planned or hoped for. Our initial reaction in these situations is to feel discouraged. Discouragement then affects our confidence and we may begin to doubt ourselves. This is devastating to us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s at these moments that we leave ourselves vulnerable to the enemy because instead of exercising our faith and falling back on God’s promises for us, we tend to distance ourselves from God. We start pointing the finger at God and trying to take matters into our own hands. However, we are reminded in Proverbs 3:5-6 that we must “Trust in the Lord with all of [our] heart” and not to “depend on [our] own understanding.” Clearly put, we must trust God and know that He has a purpose for those moments instead of trying to make sense of everything.

So how does God feel about discouragement? Quite simply, He strongly opposes it. He commands us in Joshua 1:9 to “be strong and courageous!” And “not to be afraid or discouraged.” God did not make a request or give us an option, He clearly COMMANDED us to be strong and courageous. The verse ends with “For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” So going back to the moment we experienced that led to our discouragement, we can be reminded that God is with us regardless of the circumstances and we must continue to trust Him in those trying times. In those moments that we are filled with discouragement, we can look in the Bible as it is filled with verses that are encouraging and good for us. One is Deuteronomy 31:8 where Moses tells Joshua not to “be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

When going through a hard time don’t we usually feel comforted when our friends and family give us those pep talks? “Hey, it is going to be alright.” “There are other fish in the sea.” “There are bigger and better things for you.” We hear these all the time and eventually, over time, we start to feel better, and we do believe it.  We should find comfort in knowing that God is with us, and above all, we must trust Him. He is making a way, and we must be patient and not try to understand it all. Just trust that God has something better in store for us. Again, the Bible is filled with encouragement and it is important for us to inscribe the Word in our hearts. We become vulnerable when discouraged, and the Word of God is our weapon in this spiritual warfare against the enemy.

So, the next time discouragement finds its way into your life, remember that God commands us to be strong and courageous, to trust in Him and not to depend on our own understanding. God has a plan and a purpose and we have to let Him do His work. We can take that time to prepare for what God has in store for us and find peace in knowing that God is with us.

God Bless,

Darien B.