HELP IN TIMES OF DISCOURAGEMENT

Rev Ezekiel A. Ajibade

Introduction
Discouragement is simply defined as the state of being deprived of courage or confidence. It is a situation where life circumstances beats a man arms down and drives every impetus to carry on out of him. Discouragement is a common experience in our days due to the frustrating nature of our society and our seeming unpreparedness as Christians despite all the resources available to us. This is the reason we have to look deeply into this issue as we study today.

CAUSES OF DISCOURAGEMENT
When we seem to be left alone to a struggle
Occasions come when we try to champion a cause and instead of getting the necessary support, we are left alone to the struggle. A time will come when we may feel totally discouraged and ready to give up. Such was the condition of Elijah in I Kings 19:13-18. Having sole-handedly declared war on Israel’s idolatry, Baal and Asherah worshippers, and indeed wicked king Ahab, he eventually fell into the intimidating web of Jezebel and had to escape for dear life. In the cave where he went to, God asked him, what are you doing here and here was his reply in 19:10;

“I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

John the Baptist also got to this point in his life. He felt all alone in the struggle especially when he was imprisoned and no one was there to rescue him. He had to send to Jesus:
“Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else? (Matt 11:2-6)

When Hope is Delayed
Every human being has a breaking point or a point of elasticity. As we hope, believe and expect, a point of breakdown may come and we get discouraged. Proverbs 13:12 says,
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Abraham and Sarah got to this point as they expected God’s promise to be fulfilled. When it seems nothing was forth coming, Sarah encouraged Abraham to have a child through her maid. (Gen 16:1-3) Even after God’s indication of displeasure and renewal of covenant with Abraham in Gen 17, Abraham still said,
“Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety? If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

When Waiting becomes difficult
Waiting on the Lord is a critical aspect of a Christian’s relationship with God. God is never in a rush and he walks and works with a purpose in mind. But as humans, we want it now or never. Even when we try to wait, emergencies may arise and we get discouraged. In fact we think of taking alternative steps or helping ourselves out. Such was the case of Saul in I Sam 13:6-10. The army was already scattered and people were overwhelmed with fear. Yet Samuel did not arrive for the sacrifice as scheduled. Saul helped himself out but interestingly, “just as he finished making the offering,” Samuel arrived to his dismay and eventual dethronement.

When Defeat seems to Pile upon each other
Occasions also come in life when we go from one experience of calamity to another despite our initial courage and effort to carry on. The billows and torrents of trouble may eventually overwhelm us and we get discouraged. Such was the case of David in I Samuel 30:1-6. He has gone through a lot. He was driven away from his home land and turned into a desert wanderer, guerilla fighter and mercenary. Saul still sought to kill him. He was recently dismissed from the Philistines army and now, his camp at Ziklag has been raided and his family and that of his followers captured. Instead of being supported and encouraged by his own followers who he had done all his best to take care of, they talked of stoning him. Verse 6 said, “David was greatly distressed.”

HELP IN TIMES OF DISCOURAGEMENT
Cry at the Right time
There is a time to cry to God before the troubles of our life overwhelm us and we get discouraged. Israel cried to God in Ex 2:23-25. But was that really the right time? If Daniel did not discover that God intended for them to spend seventy years in exile, guess how many more years they would have languished in exile of suffering and discouragement (Dan 9:1-3). Cry at the right time. There is time to cry. Experience have shown that if some people had properly handled the problems of their lives much earlier, they would not be going through what they are going through right now.

Have a Stubborn faith: Don’t give up
Jesus taught us importunity in Luke 18:1-8. In Matthew 15:21-28 is the story of the Canaanite woman who refused to take “no” for an answer. All the statements Jesus made was enough to discourage her but she insisted on getting what she wanted so much that at the end, Jesus commented, “woman, you have great faith.”

Don’t take offence
We must develop the right approach to our moments of frustration in life. We must learn to be proactive and not reactive – either against human beings or against God our Creator. When Rachael got to a point in her journey of disappointments in life, she desperately said to Jacob one day, “Give me children or I’ll die” (Gen 30:1). When John the Baptist was disappointed, he queried Christ, “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?.” After Jesus gave him the proves of his Messiahship, he warned “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on the account of me.” (KJV says “take offence”). Hope you remember this was the same John introducing Christ in Matthew 3 and telling the people he was unworthy to untie his sandals.

Capitalise on your Area of Strength, explore and rejoice in it.
Mike Murdock said, ‘stay in the centre of your expertise and you will be far from your weakness.” Learn to do what you know best to do and give your all to it. Proverbs 24:10 says, “if you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength.” So build on your strength. Increase the reservoir of your strength and it will carry you through in the days of trouble (See Jer 12:5).

Deal with Worry and Cowardice.
Remove worry from your life. Don’t be a pessimist and never think solution lies in you alone. Don’t limit God and don’t use your small brain to help God think of what to do. Do you know that while Elijah was complaining he was the only one left, God said,
“yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.
Matthew 6:25-31 tells us God is in charge of our today and tomorrow. He clothes the lilies and feeds the birds. He can surely take care of your situation. So we should never be anxious or weighed down by anxiety. We are to simply face the business of seeking his kingdom first.

Encourage yourself.
In I Samuel 30:6, David encouraged himself in the Lord despite the odds that surrounded him. And this is a principle that has helped many in life. That’s why the writer of the Kohathite psalm in Psalm 42:5 could say,
“Why are you down cast, o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God…”
Remember they say it is not over until it is over. So you have no cause to be discouraged. See the summary of this man’s life;
Failed in business at 31
Defeated in legislature at 32
Failed in business at 34
Sweetheart died at 35
Had nervous breakdown at 36
Defeated in election at 38
Defeated for congress at 43
Defeated for congress at 46
Defeated for senate at 55
Defeated for vice president at 56
Defeated for senate at 58
Elected president at 60
This man was Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents America ever had. It is not over until it is over.

Confess positively
As a Christian you should be able to wake up every morning and say;
The Lord is my strength and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an enemy besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. (Psalm 27:1-3).
Your confession matters in times of discouragement. Say positive things about yourself and your situation and you will see things working out for you positively. Remember that Shunammite woman in 2 Kgs 4? Her child was dead but her confession was “it is well.” At the end it was well with her because God used Elisha to raise her dead son back to life.

Conclusion
Discouragement cannot but come. The issue is not whether you are going through it or not. The issue is what you are doing with it. The summary and conclusion of the matter is the title of one of Robert Schuller’s book: TOUGH TIME NEVER LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO!”