Hey, hi.
There’s encouragement here for YOU today.
Scoot your chair up. Slip on your reading glasses. Mute the TV.
I don’t want you to miss this. ❤️
Discouragement can show up at the most inopportune times, can’t it? Not that there’s ever a good time for discouragement, but has this happened to you?
Life seems to be humming along, no crisis in sight, and then—POP! Like a Jack-in-the-box, a frustration, disappointment, or sad memory jumps right out in front of you.
And suddenly, Pop Goes the Weasel sounds more like Pop Goes Your Peace.
Good grief. Ugh. Ooftah. All the words.
Here’s one thing I really don’t like about discouragement. It’s sneaky.
Sometimes it jumps right out at us. Other times, it quietly slides in, and we don’t even realize it’s arrived until it’s made itself comfortable.
Pretty soon, Jack and his sidekick Discouragement have set up a party room in your brain and invited friends over.
Worry. Regret. Gloominess. That nagging little voice reminding you of your mistakes, the tough times around you, or how you’ll just never measure up.
And nobody invited them. They didn’t even bring snacks!
Oh, how I wish you didn’t ever, ever, ever have to listen to those voices. Those lies.
But we’ve all heard them.
You aren’t alone.
Here’s the good news…
Jack the Discourager doesn’t get to have the last word.
We don’t have to believe every thought that pops into our heads. And we certainly don’t have to let Jack and his friends run the show.
We can choose to listen to a different voice.
The voice of the One who loves us most. The One who offers hope, restores our peace, and reminds us of what’s true.
And here’s what He tells us:
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)
Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love. (Psalm 130:7)
Oh, I love those reminders.
God goes with us. He never leaves us. His love doesn’t run out.
And that’s the truth, no matter what Jack is trying to tell us.
So, when Jack pops up and starts messing with your heart, your thoughts, and your emotions?
Shove him back down in his box. Snap the lid down tight.
It’s OK to do that, you know!
We may not always be able to stop Discouraging Jack from popping up, but we don’t have to give him a front-row seat in our thoughts.
Remember what God says is true about you.
Let His promises be louder than those discouraging voices.
And when Jack starts playing that crazy music again?
Turn it off.
Don’t let Discouraging Jack—or anyone else—pop your peace.
I’m so glad you’re here. May your day be filled with pop-ups of laughter, unexpected joy, and little reminders of God’s goodness.
