Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
I was so foolish and ignorant -
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you
Yet, I still belong to you;
You hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do!
Psalm 73:21-28 (NLT)
Lately, nothing seems to be going right. At times, I feel so overwhelmed with the oppression around me that it's so difficult not to lose heart. After a very challenging school year - both at work and in our personal lives, it seems the summer has started off with a continuation of trials. It seems just as we get our heads above water, something else happens. As I tossed and turned last night, anxious about the latest turn of events - our Ford Explorer dying on Highway 90 (How much will it cost for Explorer repairs? Just found out, $2600, ugh!!!), I felt that old familiar sense of dread come over me. I begged for sleep to overtake me. I prayed for Christ to lift from me the burdens and cares that kept replaying over and over in my head. I even imagined they were recorded on an old VHS tape and tried to rewind and erase them. Finally, sleep found me and I awoke this morning refreshed and much more hopeful about all of the circumstances.
Asaph, the psalmist who wrote Psalm 73, could relate to these feelings of discouragement that I've encountered as of late. His discouragement arose as he noted how the proud seemed to prosper and succeed - they didn't seem to experience the troubles and problems that those who followed God experienced. He even questioned why he had kept his heart pure only to awake every morning to pain and troubles. It seemed to him that life wasn't fair - the wicked prospered while the godly were oppressed. He became so discouraged that his heart became bitter.
Like Asaph, I've allowed troubles to embed themselves within me. I've let down my guard, opening my heart up to attack, creating a spirit of discouragement and fear. My reality became centered on the troubles and problems of life. Thus, causing a temporary setback in my spirit. I now realize just how foolish and ingnorant I must seem to God, to allow such temporal things to cause such disillusionment within me.
Though bitter and discouraged, Aspah was given a spiritual realignment. He realized that the proud and wealthy (who do not honor God) live in a dream world. Their reality is actually not reality at all, but a false dream that leads them away from eternal life in Christ. When we deviate our focus from God to the troubles in this life, we are also living in a dream - or more appropriately, a nightmare. Problems and troubles are a given, even for Christians. However, we MUST TRUST God in all circumstances - good or bad! To become obsessed and anxious over problems misdirects us from the realty of God's truth. Discouragement blurs our vision, disrupting our line of sight to the Father. Discouragement derails our faith. Discouragement leads us along hazardous paths, tricking us into believing the life of faith is futile. Discouragement wants us to yield our faith and just give up.
To overcome discouragment, face reality. Reality isn't this life. Reality isn't problems or circumstances. Reality is eternity. Reality is God's Truth. True joy, peace, and hope can be your reality instead of dicouragement. They are not found in your circumstances. They are not found in riches. They are not found in the perfect husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, clothes, home, car, etc....They are not found in anything this world has to offer. Joy, peace, and hope can only be found in Christ Jesus! God is reality. Therefore, to overcome discouragement, we need to get as close to Him as we can. Cling to Christ with all that you are! He has already taken your right hand and wants to lead you to a glorious destiny. He's got a grip on you and will never let you go!
When faced with discouraging circumstances, you can stand in God's strength and righteousness! You can do all things and face all things in Christ, who strengthens you! Then, despite your circumstances, tell everyone of the wonderful things He has done!
Don't let discouragement control your reality. Stand tall in Christ, friends!
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