It does not matter who you are or what side of the tracks you grew up on, discouragement eventually gets around to knocking on everyone’s door.  When discouragement is knocking on your door it is not any fun.  You are either coming out of discouragement, going into discouragement or smack dab in the middle of discouragement.  Discouragement is a reality for everyone and the really bad thing about it is it will wear you down!

Discouragement is a lot like a heavy dark cloud that follows you around!  When you find yourself in discouragement, you feel like the kid in the Peanut’s Cartoons, who always has a rain cloud over his head following him around wherever he goes.  It does not matter what you do or where you go, it always seems to be there!

Discouragement is going to come – this is the reality of life.  The question that you need to be concerned with, is this:  When discouragement comes knocking are you going to answer it the right way?

I’ve discovered that discouragement does not happen all at once!  It often comes in a little at a time and wears you down!  It messes with your thinking.  Screws up your sleeping.  And disrupts anything positive in your life.

There will be opposition to your courage!  This is really what discouragement is – it is opposition to your courage!  It will take longer and cost you more than you think, to take it on and take it out, but it’s worth it!

Don’t get discouraged because you are discouraged, simply realize that discouragement is a reality of living life in a sinful world.  Focus on the Creator rather than the creation and keep looking for the purpose that you were created for!  You will overcome, grow and develop because of your discouragement, if you handle it, rather than letting it handle you!

You can do this and when you do, you will be glad you did!

Discouragement is a reality and it comes at us from so many different directions!  But as a child of the most high King, we should never get stuck in discouragement.  Discouragement will come our way, but we don’t have to let it stay!

When you find yourself facing discouragement, stop and ask yourself this question:  “Why should I ever be discouraged?”  God created me in His image.  God bought and paid for my forgiveness, so that I can have everlasting relationship with Him.  God is preparing a place for me and will one day carry me to that place to live with Him forever and ever.  When we look at all that God has for us, then it helps us to not be taken over by the little that comes against us.

Life is tough!  But we don’t have to let the toughness of life get us down and we certainly should not let it take us out.  Don’t let your courage get dissed!  That is exactly what discouragement is:  It is the disrespecting of your courage!  Don’t just take it, get up and fight it for God’s glory and your blessing!

See here is the amazing truth about discouragement:  On the other side of discouragement there is promotion, if we are faithful!  That’s right!  God wants to use your discouragement to take you to places that you could never take yourself, to help you do incredible and amazing things, to move you out of your comfort zone and into a place of grace, a place where your faith can grow and allow you to transform into something amazing for Him!

The enemy wants to weigh you down with burdens, but God wants to set you free with joy!  It’s your choice – what’s it going to be?