The Deadly Darts of the Devil: Discouragement
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Old Fable:
In the devil's marketplace were found many tools. Tools such as deceit, lying, jealously,pride, hatred, envy, etc. were all up for sale at discount prices. However, in the corner of the room, there wasanother tool, separated from the rest. It was well-protected and encased in glass as a means of protection fromthe dust. Unlike the other tools, itsprice was high. This tool wasdiscouragement. When asked why such asmall tool was so highly priced, the devil answered, “It is the most terrificof them all. It can pry open a heart nomatter how shielded. It gets inside aheart when I cannot. Adultery, idolatry,hatred, etc. have my labels placed upon them, and so people will know it'scoming from me. But not so withdiscouragement. You see how badly wornit is? Because I use it on almost everyone,and few people know it belongs to me.”
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Discouragement can suck the joy right out of life. It can warp our focus to where all we can seeis the negative all around us. Worst ofall, discouragement leads to the desire to give up on everything, includingGod. Discouragement argues, “Look,you've tried. You've done what'sright. You've lived by God'sstandard. Now, what has it gottenyou?” And sadly, we listen, and that iswhere our trouble begins.
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To illustrate just how much discouragement can change ouroutlook, I want to share with you two quotes that I found. Read them carefully.
Quote #1:
It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels he is worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him.
Quote #2:
I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the human family, there would not be one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall be better I cannot tell. I actually forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better.
Isn't it amazing that two people could have such differentviews of life? You want to know what'seven more amazing? The above quotationswere both spoken by the same man in different times of his life. Yes, even Abraham Lincoln knew what it waslike to face discouragement. While there is no true “cure” for discouragement,there are some things we can do to keep it at bay.
First of all, we need rest. Yes, I'm speaking of physical rest. It is an accepted fact that when our bodies are tired, we are moresusceptible to mood changes and stress. However, as important as that is, it is also important to get ourspiritual rest. Psalm 37:7 says, Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently forhim. To rest in the Lord means to lean on Him, tocast our cares upon Him. The word “rest”implies peace and comfort. These can befound by going to God and sharing with Him the source of ourdiscouragement. Then, lean on Hisstrength to see us through.
Second, we need to reflect. This takes some practice, but it's worth it. Reflecting means taking all of our negativethoughts and turning them into positive ones. Bad circumstance? Yes, but whatgood came from it? Sometimes, we have tolook really hard, and when all else fails, reflect on Romans 8:28 that remindsus if good hasn't come out of it yet, it will!
Third, we need to resist the devil who will be shouting atus constantly. No, it's not an audiblevoice, but sometimes it feels like he's sitting right on our shoulders, fillingour ears with complaints and negative thoughts. It's easy to listen to him without even realizing we're doing it. That's why we need to become more aware ofhis presence. If the thoughts we'rehaving are negative and leading to discouragement, they're not of God. II Corinthians 10:5 speaks of bringing into captivity every thought to theobedience of Christ. When we resistthe devil, that's the first step in getting our thoughts straight. Once he's no longer shouting in our ears,it's easier to bring those thoughts to where they need to be.
***Excerpt from The Deadly Darts of the Devil by Dana Rongione***