What do you do with discouragement? When recovery from a medical condition seems impossible. When recovery from addiction hovers and consumes your progress. When anxiety and depression seeps into every pore of your body. When the prayer you have been praying seems to have no answer. When tragedy strikes leaving you feeling there is no repairing your broken heart. When those who want to destroy you physically, mentally, or socially. When those disparage your reputation within your career. When your identity comes in question then moves into condemnation.
I can understand each of these and can admit that I have given into discouragement. I lost my confidence in many areas of my own life. I allowed the words of enemies to discourage me. I have allowed myself to be gripped in fear so I stay silent for many years. I have let my voice be drowned out and deter me from being what I know to be true about myself and God. I have questioned God about ailments that will not fully be repaired. I have been angry at God. I have rejected Him. I have run away from Him. I have silenced my spirit through the years.
I thank God that He chose broken and imperfect people I can turn to for healing and mentorship. Being imperfect myself, I gain so much insight reading through the Bible into the very lives of imperfect people. They embody the human experiences we all encounter, but also how they reconciled themselves with God. Discouragement is a part of life that can bring you to your knees. Maybe not in prayer, but in pure defeat.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31: 6).
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
In the book, Divine Mentor, the author takes a look at how lives played out honestly so as we read the Bible we can make connections with the people with similar life experiences.
JOB- Perhaps no Bible character has suffered more than Job.
DAVID- who is no stranger to hard times
MOSES- who suffered several instances of hard times
ESTHER- who faced the pressure to save her nation from destruction.
And then there is:
PETER-who experienced rejection, fear, anger, self-righteousness, disappointment, loss, self-loathing, but with all his imperfections Jesus:
instructed Peter
disciplined and corrected Peter
never rejected Peter
never demoted Peter
called Peter into a deeper sense of goodness
“ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” ( Matthew 16:18).
Then Peter becomes the encouragement to others as he experienced in his own life. He had gone astray multiple times, repented, and then with great courage told others his redemption story. He came a long way from being a fisherman to fulfilling Jesus’ request that he become a Shepard and to feed His flock. Even in his death, the one aspect I feel when I read about Peter is how much he loved Jesus.
“For “you were like sheep going astray, "but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2: 25).
To be like the bold Peter is my prayer for myself. Take a look at the people in the Bible and see if one of them can guide you through mentorship.
Blessings,
dreamsdontfade.com
Here is a song that as attacks come or when the healing seems so far away were just the words I needed to hear this week.
You’re gonna be okay by Brian & Jenn Johnson
I know your heart is heavy from those nights
But just remember that you are a fighter, a fighter
You never know just what tomorrow holds
And you're stronger than you know, stronger than you know
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjF9IqvXDjY