This week as part of my devotions I read the following from the Word for Today and spent some time contemplating its meaning for me in these unprecedented times that we are currently living in.
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Attitude is a little thing, but it makes a big difference. Depression, gloom, pessimism, despair and discouragement stop more people than all the world’s combined illnesses. The truth is, enthusiasm will take you where talent alone can’t. Think about it: every day talented people give in to discouragement and quit, while people with less talent and ability keep going and succeed.
Winston Churchill once quipped, ‘I’m an optimist. It doesn’t seem too much use being anything else.’ If you really, really, really believe that God is on your side, you’ll be optimistic even in the face of overwhelming obstacles and discouragement. In the Old Testament, a group of former slaves rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in just fifty-two days, and went on to prosper. How did they do it? Because their leader said, ‘Don’t surrender to discouragement. Don’t give it an inch. Fight every step of the way!’ And that prescription still works today! One of Satan’s favourite weapons is discouragement. He knows you can never be defeated unless you’re defeated in your thinking. But you have the power to overcome him. The Bible says, ‘Submit…to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7 NKJV).
When Satan brings discouragement to your door, what should you do? Don’t open the door! Don’t invite him in! Don’t accept the package! Don’t sign the receipt! Instead, submit to God – and resist him! From time to time we all experience fatigue, frustration, failure and fear. But by standing on God’s promises and drawing on his strength, you can choose not to get discouraged. The choice is yours!
Jesus Christ is the ‘Light’, the ‘Life’, and the ‘Hope’ of the World, and so much more besides – and we as his disciples regardless what we are facing should have that same attitude and persona about us that shows that we believe that that is so.
Not that we want to gloss over all the stuff that can crowd in on us, the disruptions, the doubts and fears, the despair etc. – but through our faith in Him and our trust in God the Father we need to show that in all things that we are going through we can and we will get through, and come through the other side triumphant 🙂
For we have won the victory!
Paul when speaking was to the church of Thessaloniki told the people to be encouragers and to build each other up (refer to 1 Thessalonians).
So how about in the next day or two, rather than focussing on all the bad stuff that is going on, start focussing on the good that is happening – be encouragers, not naysayers, build each other up with psalms and songs of praise, not ripping into someone or gossiping, slandering or even putting down anything that is not going the way that ‘you’ want.
That is not Christ-like and according to most counsellors, mental health advocates and the like is something that we need to ignore (although at times this can be extremely hard to do) or completely disregard, unfriend or remove from our spheres of influence all together…
Let’s be a body of believers, the church, that stands up in these days and offers encouragement to a world that seems to have lost a fair chunk of hope! For we should be bringers of Life and Hope!
Blessings 🙂
The life and times of Perry... 