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 a good time, but has this happened to you?
Life seems to be humming along, no crisis in sight, and then like a Jack-in-the-box, a frustration, lie, or sad memory jumps out in front of you. It stares right at you with its scary, dark red smile, bobbing and weaving with its arms stretched out, inviting you to entertain yourself with thoughts of disappointment and fear. Pop goes the weasel sounds more like Pop goes your peace, right?
Good grief. Ugh. Ooftah. All the words.
There are a lot of things I don’t like about discouragement. Here’s one of them: it is subtle. It doesn’t show up as a sharp pain, or a major collapse. It quietly slides right in, often without our knowing it’s arrived. Pretty soon Jack and his side-kick discouragement have set up a party room in your brain and invited friends over. Gloominess, worry, and despair crank up the music and remind you of your mistakes, the tough times around you, or how you will just never measure up.
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 have to have the last word. You can shut that voice down. You can choose to listen to a different voice. The voice of The One who loves you most. The One who offers Hope. Restores your Peace. Replaces the lies with Truth.
The dictionary app on my phone says that discouragement deprives us of courage, hope, or confidence. That seems about right.
But here’s more good news…
We’ve got a really big God who can keep us from dancing to those crazy voices. Here is the TRUTH:
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)
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. (Proverbs 3:25-26)
So, when Jack pops up and tries messing with your heart, your thoughts, and your emotions?
Shove him back down in his box, snap the lid down tight, and remember who God says you are:
You are an incredible work of art. (Ephesians 2:10)
You are greatly loved. (Romans 5:8)
You are his treasured possession. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
You are the apple of his eye. (Psalm 17:8)
YOU are someone who is loved. Even when you don’t feel it.
YOU are someone who is gifted and talented. Even when you don’t see it.
YOU are someone who brings something special into this world. Even when you don’t know it.
We may not be able to always stop Discouraging Jack from popping up, but we can stop him from bobbing and weaving in front of us.
Use the verses we looked at here to tell discouragement what is true about you.
Stop the crazy music and let God remind you of how very much He loves you – just as you are.
Don’t let Discouraging Jack or anyone else pop your peace.
