OVERCOMING DISCOURAGEMENT

by Pastor T.d. KASUKU 

QUESTION 1/ WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE DISCOURAGED?

To be discouraged is to feel less motivated, confident or optimistic.

Proverbs 12:25 “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.”

Everyone tends to feel discouraged. I say everyone including me. Those who succeed in ministry will tell you it happened to them many times 

QUESTION 2/ HOW DO I KNOW I'M DISCOURAGED?

Let me give you some symptoms

# 1^st symptom When I'm discouraged, "I feel weighed down"

Read and meditate Proverbs 12:25

When I'm discouraged, I feel demotivated. I become heavy. I'm dragging my feet. There's no speed in what I used to do with speed. I become religious. I do things not because it comes from within but just to show I'm doing.

# 2^nd symptom When I'm discouraged, I become nervous with or without reason. Resentful. Broken

Read and meditate Colossians 3: 21

#3^rd symptom When I'm discouraged I tend to quit, to give up

Read and meditate Galatians 6:9

# When I'm discouraged I tend to go back to the things I've vomited yesterday.

Read and meditate Proverbs 26:11

What does it mean?

    §  The desires of the flesh overrule the desire of the Spirit.

    §  My soul delights in profane songs more than in spiritual songs.

    §  My soul prefers to watch movies than to read my Bible.

    §  I'd better visit my unbelievers friends than to fellowship with the saints.

    §  I show no concerns for the spiritual meetings.

    §  I become over-critic toward the man of God, the church, the fellowship.

    §  I become hopeless.

    §  Nothing moves me  No one moves me

#5 When I'm discouraged I become bitter.

Read and meditate Hebrews 12:15 

What does it mean?

     §  Life becomes tasteless.

     §  I tend to think of things that will make my life sweeter like sex, beer, bang, etc

QUESTION 3/ WHAT CAUSES DISCOURAGEMENT?

#1 Read Genesis 25:29-30

We see 3 major causes here which created discouragement in Esau: Failure, Frustration and Fatigue

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   Failure = he comes from hunting and he didn't get what he expected to get. Failure creates Frustration. Frustration creates fatigue.

Sometimes, your best laid plans fall apart -- the project collapses -- the deal falls through -- no one shows up to the event. How do you react? Do you give in to self-pity? Do you blame others? As one man said, "Just when I think I can makes ends meet --somebody moves the ends! That's discouraging!

Fatigue = not only physical. It can also be emotional, Psychological, Even spiritual

When you’re physically or emotionally exhausted, you’re a prime candidate to be infected with discouragement. Your defenses are lowered and things can seem bleaker than they really are. This often occurs when you’re halfway through a major project and you get tired.

It is normal to get tired. Jesus was physically tired. But the good thing is to know how to be refreshed, to make a new start.

    Frustration = he is disappointed for coming back empty handed

QUESTION 4/ WHAT'S THE CURE FOR DISCOURAGEMENT?

#The 1^st cure is in Isaiah 40:30-31

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    When Tiredness comes, there's a message behind: stop to rely on your strength and start to rely on the strength from above. Stop to rely on the natural. Start to rely on the supernatural. This is the first cure.

#The 2^nd cure is in 1 Samuel 30:6

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    Don't wait to be encouraged from outside. Encourage yourself from inside. David encouraged himself

#The 3^rd cure is in Galatians 6:9

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    Keep in mind your harvest. There will be a harvest for what you do in the house of the Lord. There will be a harvest for what you do at home. There will be a harvest for waking up every morning to be in the presence of God. There will be a harvest for reading the Bible everyday.

# The 4^th cure is in Habakkuk 2:3

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   Sometimes discouragement comes when what we expect from God is slow in coming. You expect the salvation of your family but there's no result until now. God says to you today: IT WILL CERTAINLY COME. IT WILL NOT BE KEPT BACK.

    MY PRAYER TODAY 

 Heavenly Father, though I am dealing with disappointment and obstacles, I rest in the fact that You are still on the throne. 

   Lead me to enter into Your rest Oh Lord and not be disillusioned by the current circumstances; through  Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, in Oneness and power, now and forever. Amen.