There are times when we feel slightly discouraged and need some encouragement for a pick-me-up. But then there are times when we have slipped further and are feeling extraordinarily discouraged, and/or low, sad, depressed, and hopeless, and it takes more work to dig ourselves out.
If you are struggling spiritually and need encouragement, as I have been many times in the past, I urge you to start making your way back to the Lord immediately. There is no time to lose and you can instantly begin the process. We need to be willing to make the the change but the Lord is the one who lifts us up and restores us. He is right there with open, loving arms to fill you up with His love and renew your heart, soul and mind. He never wants us to feel discouraged, and He offers so many ways to be instantly uplifted. You will never be disappointed when you make the effort to return to Him, get in His Word, listen to His voice, and let Him draw you back to Him.
When you find yourself stuck and experiencing low moods or a rough season in your life, there are plenty of helpful truths to get you through (see the “Comforting Verses” page). We all slip time and time again, and need to come back to some fundamental principles when we need encouragement:
1) Start with pouring your heart out to Him in prayer. Tell Him absolutely everything about how you feel. There is no one who can relate to you more than Him, and no one who knows you or your heart better. He knows exactly what you are going through and loves you immensely. He wants to help you.
Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you. Psalm 55:22
2) Look to the cross. Truthfully, if we were all looking to the cross and the Lord’s sacrifice for us properly, we would NEVER feel discouraged. But we’re human, so we will never fully grasp this properly, nor fully apply it to our lives properly. But in good times and bad, it’s where our focus should lie. The fact that the God of this universe loved us SO MUCH despite our wicked, sinful hearts, and sent His only Son to pay the punishment for our sins should constantly boggle our minds, overflow our hearts with humility, love, awe and appreciation. The fact that Jesus came willingly to offer Himself for us is equally incredible. There are no words in any human language that can do it justice. It should leave us speechless and bring us to tears. So whenever you are feeling low and feel like you can’t go on anymore, remember that you are loved and cared for by God in an unfathomable way. Rejoice that He paid for your sins and that the biggest burden we could ever face, an eternity spent in hell, is no longer the future for those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior. The biggest stressor we could ever face has been lifted for us! Remember God’s sacrifice in sending His son and the anguish He must have experienced seeing His only Son suffer the way He did. Remember Jesus lovingly endured torture for us on the cross and we are redeemed forever because of Him!
Always look to the cross, because THE CROSS = LOVE.
3) Remind yourself who God is. He is perfect, wonderful, infinitely loving, powerful, and mighty. Don’t look horizontally at this world and your problems. Focus your attention vertically. Look to the Lord. Remind yourself of who He is, and that we can turn to the God of this universe when we are feeling troubled. Remember that He is God, and we are not. He knows everything and is intelligent beyond any human scale. He understands things in ways that we will never be able to. So whenever you are upset or confused about something, and feel stirred up not knowing why something is happening, how to fix it, or what the future holds, remember that we can rely on the One who does know. And He will carry out everything based on His perfection, always for our good. He will never let us down.
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. Isaiah 40:28
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. Psalm 147:5
4) Remind yourself that not only are you not alone in this, but the Lord can relate to absolutely everything you are feeling! When Jesus lived on earth as a man, He experienced sadness, temptations, trials and emotions just as every human does. He can relate to you fully and whole heartedly, and He will always pick you up when you have fallen.
5) Remind yourself of God’s promises. Can you believe that the God of this universe PROMISES so many wonderful things to those who follow Him and obey Him? There are so many verses covering the Lord’s incredible promises that I literally would write a book to cover all of them. But here are a few:
Love: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:23
Joy: You will show me the path of life: in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
Comfort: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
Provision: My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Guidance: Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
6) Focus your thoughts on positive things. Count your blessings. Remind yourself of all the ways the Lord has blessed you, carried you through hard times, shown you love, and been right there by your side. Go to Him and prayer and list off all the things you are thankful for.
As with all good things, positive thinking isn’t some new age concept. Every good thing comes above, and positive thinking is no exception– it is Biblical: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8
7) Stop relying on your own strength. We can only become cast down, weak and burdened when we have been trying to rely on our own strength. None of us would make it on our strength alone. We must remember that the Lord is our strength. We must lean on Him fully and conquer life and all of its challenges with HIS strength, not ours, because we have none.
8) Don’t give up. The Lord’s strength will carry you through to the end. Finish the race strong!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7