Our expectations are that we won’t ever have to deal with disappointment, that every day will be perfect, no worries, no sickness, and no sorrow. But when those things come our emotional response is disappointment. If we’re not careful that disappointment can become discouragement.
Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellow man, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. - William Ward.
When you fall into the trap of discouragement, there is no joy or contentment, no matter what you do. The circumstances that trigger disappointment may be unavoidable, but the way we respond is a choice. We can either let disappointment overwhelm us or we can face the situation with courage and take it to the One who can help us through them. Remember He promised to never leave or forsake us.
Jana Duckett gives us weapons to use against the discouragement that the enemy uses against us to try and eliminate our joy. (Scriptures added by me)
Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellow man, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. - William Ward.
When you fall into the trap of discouragement, there is no joy or contentment, no matter what you do. The circumstances that trigger disappointment may be unavoidable, but the way we respond is a choice. We can either let disappointment overwhelm us or we can face the situation with courage and take it to the One who can help us through them. Remember He promised to never leave or forsake us.
Jana Duckett gives us weapons to use against the discouragement that the enemy uses against us to try and eliminate our joy. (Scriptures added by me)
Crucial Weapons To Use Against Discouragement
Capture Thoughts
Thoughts must be filtered or else they will leave you vulnerable to the enemy’s trick of making you think that every thought that comes to mind originated with you. Therefore, the Apostle Paul admonishes us to take our thoughts captive and reject those that fail to submit to The Word of God. If it doesn’t agree with God, kick it out.
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Short-circuit negativity
Pull the plug on negativity. Find out what’s feeding it in your life: could be a person, a song, television show or a bad habit. Negativity wears down the inner life making it more susceptible to discouragement. The joy of The Lord is your strength and helps to build a wall of defense.
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Fellowship with the Trinity
Make time to be with the Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit. It’s hard to hang out with This Dynamic Trio and be discouraged. They will cover you like a strong tower fortifying your spirit with courage, love, and wisdom.
Matthew 28:19 NIV Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Proverbs 18:10 NIV The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Store the Word
Hide the Word of God in your heart. The permanent Word of God disarms and dismantles false ides that come at us. Scripture creates a shield of faith that quenches these fiery darts, rendering them useless. The only power that Satan has over you is what you choose to give him either through ignorance or forfeiting your power.
Psalms 119:11 NIV I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Ephesians 6:13-17 NIV Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (emphasis mine)
Force-field prayer
Daily prayer creates a force field around you in the spirit realm. We do not understand how powerful this weapon truly is. Prayer is not bound by time or geography. It can create a spiritual protective force field around you, your community, and the nation.
Philippians 4:6 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Sanctified Imagination
It’s been said that worry is a terrible misuse of the imagination. The same outcome you’re imagining that’s bringing anxiety could be turned around and perceived through the lens of faith. Cultivate a faith filled imagination, not a worry filled one.
2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Capture Thoughts
Thoughts must be filtered or else they will leave you vulnerable to the enemy’s trick of making you think that every thought that comes to mind originated with you. Therefore, the Apostle Paul admonishes us to take our thoughts captive and reject those that fail to submit to The Word of God. If it doesn’t agree with God, kick it out.
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Short-circuit negativity
Pull the plug on negativity. Find out what’s feeding it in your life: could be a person, a song, television show or a bad habit. Negativity wears down the inner life making it more susceptible to discouragement. The joy of The Lord is your strength and helps to build a wall of defense.
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Fellowship with the Trinity
Make time to be with the Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit. It’s hard to hang out with This Dynamic Trio and be discouraged. They will cover you like a strong tower fortifying your spirit with courage, love, and wisdom.
Matthew 28:19 NIV Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Proverbs 18:10 NIV The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Store the Word
Hide the Word of God in your heart. The permanent Word of God disarms and dismantles false ides that come at us. Scripture creates a shield of faith that quenches these fiery darts, rendering them useless. The only power that Satan has over you is what you choose to give him either through ignorance or forfeiting your power.
Psalms 119:11 NIV I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Ephesians 6:13-17 NIV Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (emphasis mine)
Force-field prayer
Daily prayer creates a force field around you in the spirit realm. We do not understand how powerful this weapon truly is. Prayer is not bound by time or geography. It can create a spiritual protective force field around you, your community, and the nation.
Philippians 4:6 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Sanctified Imagination
It’s been said that worry is a terrible misuse of the imagination. The same outcome you’re imagining that’s bringing anxiety could be turned around and perceived through the lens of faith. Cultivate a faith filled imagination, not a worry filled one.
2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Discouragement hangs over us like a dense cloud. Like the one that hung over the head of the Li’l Abner cartoon character, Joe Btsfplk.
Imitate God’s Thinking
Challenge yourself to see life circumstances from God’s vantage point. As children, we should be trustingly dependent on Him knowing that He is working all things out for an overall good outcome on our behalf. You are made in His image, start thinking like it.
Genesis 1:26 NIV Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Philippians 4:8 NIV Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Romans 8:28-30 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Accept you will make mistakes
At times you will make mistakes and fall short. Know that God already anticipated these decisions. Your wrong turn is not a surprise to God. Jesus Christ is His rescue plan for you. When the enemy tries to bury you in what went wrong, remind Him of what Christ did right and walk in the inheritance of Christ’s victory.
Romans 3:21-24 NIV But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (emphasis mine)
1 John 1:8-10 NIV If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (emphasis mine)
Vent your frustration
We don’t have to try to keep a straight face for God because He knows what’s in our hearts. If there’s something troubling your spirit, get to the bottom of it right away. Don’t try to hide or dismiss it. Leaving this area unattended could create a foothold, which leads to a stronghold.
Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV How long, Lord , must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
Psalms 13:1-6 NIV How long, Lord ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord ’s praise, for he has been good to me.
In God your good days will always outweigh your weary days….don’t complain!
I Won’t Complain
Here are the complete lyrics to the song “I Won't Complain” as recorded by Rev. Paul Jones
I've had some good days
I've had some hills to climb
I've had some weary days
And some lonely nights
But when I look around and I think
Things over...all of my good days,
They outweigh my weary days - I won't complain
Sometimes my clouds hang low
I can hardly see the road
I ask the question-"Lord...Why so much pain?"
But He knows what's best for me
Although my weary eyes cannot see
And I say, Thank you Lord - I won't complain...
He dries all my tears away
Turn my dark nights into days
And I say, Thank you Lord - I won't complain...
God has been good to me
He's been so good to me
Better than you or this old world could ever be
He's been so good, He's been so good to me...
He dries all my tears away
Turn my dark nights into days
And I say, Thank you Lord...
When my friends turn their backs on me, Thank you, Lord
When the bills are due, Thank you, Lord
In the midnight hour, Thank you, Lord
I won't complain
Challenge yourself to see life circumstances from God’s vantage point. As children, we should be trustingly dependent on Him knowing that He is working all things out for an overall good outcome on our behalf. You are made in His image, start thinking like it.
Genesis 1:26 NIV Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Philippians 4:8 NIV Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Romans 8:28-30 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Accept you will make mistakes
At times you will make mistakes and fall short. Know that God already anticipated these decisions. Your wrong turn is not a surprise to God. Jesus Christ is His rescue plan for you. When the enemy tries to bury you in what went wrong, remind Him of what Christ did right and walk in the inheritance of Christ’s victory.
Romans 3:21-24 NIV But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (emphasis mine)
1 John 1:8-10 NIV If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (emphasis mine)
Vent your frustration
We don’t have to try to keep a straight face for God because He knows what’s in our hearts. If there’s something troubling your spirit, get to the bottom of it right away. Don’t try to hide or dismiss it. Leaving this area unattended could create a foothold, which leads to a stronghold.
Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV How long, Lord , must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
Psalms 13:1-6 NIV How long, Lord ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord ’s praise, for he has been good to me.
In God your good days will always outweigh your weary days….don’t complain!
I Won’t Complain
Here are the complete lyrics to the song “I Won't Complain” as recorded by Rev. Paul Jones
I've had some good days
I've had some hills to climb
I've had some weary days
And some lonely nights
But when I look around and I think
Things over...all of my good days,
They outweigh my weary days - I won't complain
Sometimes my clouds hang low
I can hardly see the road
I ask the question-"Lord...Why so much pain?"
But He knows what's best for me
Although my weary eyes cannot see
And I say, Thank you Lord - I won't complain...
He dries all my tears away
Turn my dark nights into days
And I say, Thank you Lord - I won't complain...
God has been good to me
He's been so good to me
Better than you or this old world could ever be
He's been so good, He's been so good to me...
He dries all my tears away
Turn my dark nights into days
And I say, Thank you Lord...
When my friends turn their backs on me, Thank you, Lord
When the bills are due, Thank you, Lord
In the midnight hour, Thank you, Lord
I won't complain
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