Dealing with Discouragement

How To Deal With Discouragement



Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

MSG - Gal 5:7 You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? 8 This detour doesn't come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. 9 And please don't toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. 10 Deep down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you, whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment.

TEXT
Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Let's go back to the beginning of Hebrews and see what it was that led Paul to this particular comment and warning of making sure that we do not have an Evil heart of unbelief that would lead us in turning our back of Yahweh.

Paul begins Ch 1 speaking of the Superiority of the Christian Faith to the Mosaic system. The great danger of the Christians in Palestine was that of relapsing into the Jewish system.

For the Christians at Corinth, it was the danger of relapsing back into the sins of Idolatry and Fornication. Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

And for the Galatians, it was the danger of returning to their trust in their family linage to save them. Satan is always attempting to draw us from the Cross back to what God has delivered us from through the same lies.

So, from Paul's train of reasoning, he says in Ch 2 v1, “Therefore” - Because of that, all that I have just said, Jesus is the ONLY way of Salvation. “ Therefore, we ought to give a more earnest HEED to those things we have heard. lest at any time we should let them slip. 2. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Then he goes from “Therefore” to “Wherefore”. In Ch 3 v 1, he says, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”

As I said earlier, there are different types of things that will try to move us from the Cross. But tonight I want to talk about one of those ways. And that is by the way of Discouragement.

DISCOURAGE
1. To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits; to deject; to deprive of confidence. Try to prevent. (http://www.dictometer.com/discourage)

Jos 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
When the Lord says to us, “Be strong and of a good courage”, that must mean there is something out there that is fixing to seemingly overtake me. When Jesus says over and over, “Fear Not”, that means there is something that will come at me that's going to make my knees weak.

Jn 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]


We have the same seed in us that the Apostle Paul had in him. If taken care of properly, it will cause us to overcome.

1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Jesus has dealt tho every man “the” measure of Faith. So, we must take heed how we build there upon.

So, how do we deal with any other attack? With the Word of God. We have to encourage ourself in the Lord. The Seed of God is in us with the Divine ability to overcome.

We have to speak to ourself in songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Making melody in our hearts to the Lord. WE must make up our minds that we will never give up or give in. Be faithful till the end. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life.

Paul said, “Endure hardships as a good soldier.” “Be not weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap if we faint not.”

How to Respond to Discouragement

Act 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2Co 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

2Ti 3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

How do we respond to Discouragement?

With COURAGE!!!

For every punch satin throws at us, we need to counter with the direct oppsite.


To Dis-courage is to rob us of our Courage.

To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits; to deject; to deprive of confidence.

So, what is Courage?

Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution. It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.

Courage that grows from constitution, often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it; courage which arises from a sense of duty, acts in a uniform manner.

So, be En-couraged

To give courage to; to give or increase confidence of success; to inspire with courage, spirit, or strength of mind; to embolden; to animate; to incite; to inspirit.
Fear not, only be thou courageous and strong.