How to Overcome Discouragement

In Nehemiah 4:10 I read, “Then the people of Judah said, ‘The work crews are worn out, and there is too much rubble. We can’t continue to rebuild the wall.’” (GW)

Discouragement is curable. When I get discouraged, I can review the book of Nehemiah. This great leader of ancient Israel understood there were four reasons for discouragement.

First, I get fatigued. I simply get tired as the laborers did in Nehemiah 4:10: “Then the people of Judah said, ‘The work crews are worn out, and there is too much rubble. We can’t continue to rebuild the wall’” (GW).

Human beings wear out. We can’t burn the candle at both ends. If I’m discouraged, I may not have to change anything major in my life. I may just need rest! Sometimes the most spiritual thing I can do is go to bed.

Second, I get frustrated. Nehemiah says there was rubble all around, so much so that it was getting in the way of rebuilding the wall. Do I have “rubble” in my life? Have I noticed that anytime I start doing something new, the rubble (the frustrations that keep me from working toward your goal) starts piling up?

If I don’t clean it out periodically, it will stop my progress. I can’t avoid it, so I need to learn to recognize it and dispose of it quickly so that I don’t lose focus on my goals.

Third, I think I’ve failed. Nehemiah’s people were unable to finish their task as quickly as originally planned, and, as a result, their confidence collapsed. They thought, “We were stupid to think we could ever rebuild this wall.”

If I don’t reach a goal on time, I should just set a new goal and not give up. Everybody fails; everybody does foolish things. The issue is not that I failed; it’s how I respond to my failure.

Do I give in to self-pity? Do I start blaming others? Do I start complaining that it’s impossible? Or do I refocus on God’s intentions and start moving again?

Finally, I give in to fear. Giving in to fear leads to discouragement. Nehemiah 4 suggests that the people most affected by fear are those who hang around negative people. To control the negative thoughts in my life, avoid negative people as much as I can.

Maybe I’m discouraged because of fear and I say, “I can’t handle this. It’s too much responsibility.” Maybe it’s the fear of criticism. Or I think you don’t deserve to succeed. Fear will destroy my life if I let it. But I can choose to resist the discouragement by saying, “God, help me get my eyes off the problem and the circumstances and keep my eyes on you.”

I don’t have to stay stuck in my discouragement. Ask God to help me figure out the reason for it, address it, and start moving forward in confidence.

In summary, discouragement is curable. When I get discouraged, I can review the book of Nehemiah. It shows the strategy taken by a great leader of ancient Israel who understood there were four reasons for discouragement. First, getting fatigued or tired, as was indicated by the laborers Nehemiah 4:10. We wear out. We can’t burn the candle at both ends. If I’m discouraged, I may not have to change anything major, I may just need rest! Second, getting frustrated. Nehemiah says there was rubble all around, so much so that it was getting in the way of rebuilding the wall. Do I have “rubble” in my life (the frustrations that keep me from working toward a goal) start piling up? If I don’t clean it out periodically, it will stop my progress. I can’t avoid it, so I need to learn to recognize it and dispose of it quickly so that I don’t lose focus on my goals. Third, thinking I’ve failed. Nehemiah’s people were unable to finish their task as quickly as originally planned, and, as a result, their confidence collapsed. If I don’t reach a goal on time, I should just set a new goal and not give up. The issue is not that I failed; it’s how I respond to my failure. Do I find myself giving in to self-pity? Do I start blaming others? Do I start complaining that it’s impossible? Or do I refocus on God’s intentions and start moving again? Finally, I give in to fear. Giving in to fear leads to discouragement. Those most affected by fear are those who hang around negative people. To control the negative thoughts in my life, avoid negative people as much as I can. Maybe I’m discouraged because of fear and I say, “I can’t handle this. It’s too much responsibility.” Maybe it’s the fear of criticism. Or I think you don’t deserve to succeed. Fear will destroy my life if I let it. But I can choose to resist the discouragement by saying, “God, help me get my eyes off the problem and the circumstances and keep my eyes on you.” I don’t have to stay stuck in my discouragement. Ask God to help me figure out the reason for it, address it, and start moving forward in confidence.

Accomplishing any large task is tiring. There are always pressures that foster discouragement, the task seems impossible, it can never be finished, or too many factors are working against us. The only cure for fatigue and discouragement is focusing on God's purposes. Nehemiah reminded the workers of their calling, their goal, and God's protection. If I'm overwhelmed by an assignment, tired, and discouraged, remember God's purpose for my life and his special purpose for the project.  The people working on the walls faced the continual threat of terrorist attacks from those who didn't want to see Jerusalem rebuilt. Threats demoralize. The tension created by the possibility of sudden assaults adds to fatigue. Nehemiah too wise, practical steps to count the threats: (1) He stationed guards at obvious week points; (2) he reminded the workers to keep weapons close at hand and to fight for God, their families, and the nation if an attack came; (3) he established duty rotations so that some stood guard while others worked. The preparations for defense and the continuation of the work reversed the effects of terrorism and demoralized the enemies. Obstacles and foes can make us work smarter and live wiser or make us give up our purpose and our way of living. If they accomplish the latter, they have won even if they haven't actually attacked us. But If we adjust our way of living wisely while continuing resolutely to live under God's instructions, the opposition will fail.  

The Greatest Privilege in Life

In 1 Peter 1:3 I read, “God . . . has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God's own family.” (TLB)

A church is not a place I go, and it’s not an event I attend. The church is a spiritual family I belong to, and it’s the most important thing on earth.

Why is the church so important? Because it is God’s family. In fact, the greatest privilege in life is to be part of God’s family, to be able to say, “I’m a member of God’s family. I’m a child of God.”

The Bible says, “God . . . has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family” (1 Peter 1:3 TLB).

When born physically, we immediately became part of the human race. That wasn’t our choice. But I do have a choice about my spiritual family. When I choose to accept Jesus as my Savior, I am born spiritually, and I become a member of God’s own family.

One of the benefits of being born into God’s family is found in 1 Timothy 3:15: “[God’s] family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth” (NCV). Living in an area where there are earthquakes, I know the value of having a good foundation. In the same way, when I have the support of a church family, I won’t crumble when life’s earthquakes happen.

Everything on earth will eventually crumble, except the church. No business, school, government, or nation will last forever. Only the church will last forever, because it is built by Jesus, and he’s focused on building his family.

Jesus says in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (NLT).

In a world that’s full of uncertainty, I need to choose to build my life on the only foundation that is guaranteed to last: the secure foundation of God’s family.

In summary, God has given me the privilege of being born again so that I become a member of God's own family. A church is not a place I go, and it’s not an event I attend. The church is a spiritual family I belong to, and it’s the most important thing on earth, because it is God’s family. It is the greatest privilege in life, to be part of God’s family, a child of God.” When born physically, we became part of the human race. That wasn’t our choice. But I do have a choice about my spiritual family. When I choose to accept Jesus as my Savior, I am born spiritually, and I become a member of God’s own family. There is value in having a good foundation. When I have the support of a church family, I won’t crumble when life’s earthquakes happen. Everything on earth will eventually crumble, except the church. Only the church will last forever, because it is built by Jesus, and he’s focused on building his family. In a world that’s full of uncertainty, I need to choose to build my life on the only foundation that is guaranteed to last: the secure foundation of God’s family.

Peter's words offer joy and hope in times of trouble, and he bases his confidence on what God has done for me in Christ Jesus. I can live with the wonderful expectation of eternal life. My hope is for the future. My eternal life began when I trusted Christ and joined God's family. God will help me remain true to my faith through whatever difficult times I will face. No matter what trials or persecution I may face, my soul cannot be harmed if I have accepted Christ's gift of salvation. I will receive the promised rewards. It’s because of his great mercy that I have been born again. I can now live with a great expectation of my future because I have a priceless inheritance that is guaranteed. Confidence in this is found in what God has done through Jesus. No matter what trials or persecution I may face, I cannot lose this inheritance. I can place my trust in it. 

Jesus Wants to Share My Burden

In Matthew 11:28-30 I read, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (RSV)

The answer to the burden I’m carrying, the things that weigh me down and trouble I’m having, comes from Jesus. 

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 RSV).

Taking His yoke upon me is not adding an additional burden or problem. A yoke is a board with two arches, and it’s placed over two cattle so they can pull a cart.

The value of a yoke is that it cuts the load in half. Without a yoke, one cow has to pull the entire load by itself. But if I yoke up the cow with another cow, then the two animals pull the load together, making it half as heavy.

So, when Jesus tells me to take on his yoke, he’s not saying he’s going to give me his problems. Jesus doesn’t have any problems! He’s saying he’s going to share my problems. He’s going to share my load. He’s going to take my stress on himself and bear it with me.

Jesus uses three notable verbs in this Scripture: come, learn, and take. It’s like Jesus said, “Come team up with me so I can learn how I do it. Take on a lighter load that will reduce my stress and make my problems easier to navigate.”

When I’m yoked with Christ, I move together with him. I move in the same direction and at the same speed. I move in the right direction and at the right speed. And I move with a lighter burden.

In summary, Jesus tells me to come to him with my labors and heavy loads. He will give me rest. I am to take his yoke and learn from him, for he is gentle and lowly in heart. When I do, then I will find rest for my soul, for Jesus yoke is easy and my burden will be lighter. So the answer to the burden I’m carrying, the things that weigh me down and trouble I’m having, comes from Jesus. Taking His yoke upon me is not adding an additional burden or problem. A yoke is a board that is a device placed over two cattle so they can pull a cart. The value of a yoke is that it cuts the load in half. Without a yoke, one cow has to pull the entire load by itself. But if I yoke up one cow with another, then the two pull the load together, making it half as heavy. When Jesus tells me to take on his yoke, he’s not saying he’s going to give me his or more problems. He’s saying he’s going to share my problems and my load. He’s going to take my stress on himself and bear it with me. Jesus uses three notable verbs in this Scripture: come, learn, and take. “Come team up with me so I can learn how I do it. Take on a lighter load that will reduce my stress and make my problems easier to navigate.” When I’m yoked with Christ, I move together with him in the same direction and at the same speed and in the right direction and at the right speed. And I move with a lighter burden.

A yoke helps reduce the load, as the load is shared. Jesus frees all from these burdens. The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the actual end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose. Jesus doesn't offer a life of luxurious ease. The yoke is still a tool for working hard. But it's a shared yoke, with weight falling on bigger shoulders than mine. Someone with more pulling power is up front helping. Suddenly I am participating in life's responsibilities with a great Partner.