Discouraged or Encouraged?

As you sit and read this post, are you feeling discouraged or encouraged about your life?  Think about it for a moment.

There is much in life that can discourage us, but there is also much in life that can encourage us.  We can give our attentions to the disheartening news we hear about others each day, harbor bitterness in our hearts towards someone, carry the weight of the past, present, and future in our souls, and feel utterly overwhelmed.  OR… We can bask in God’s presence, bless a friend and cherish her friendship, pour all we have into our families and communities with joy, and be thankful in all things.

For me, I admit, it is much easier to become discouraged.  I think that is probably true for most people.  However, God is doing a work in my heart, and I am trying to become more encouraged by life.  I want to live a joyful, abundant life in Christ.  Life will always be filled with hardship and trials, but God’s goodness still remains. 

Yesterday my son was discouraged.  He had a pouty face on, and nothing good was coming forth from him.  I turned to him and said, “There is no reason to be discouraged.  It will do you no good.  You will not be productive.  You will just make yourself miserable”.  When I said it, I felt like I was talking to myself.  God was using that moment to remind me that I should work hard to fight discouragement.  It only brings defeat.  It causes all sort of negative emotions and situations to arise.

What can you do to encourage yourself?  What blesses you?  I am evaluating that for my own life and trying to do more of these things:

• Spend time with God
• Get more quiet time to myself
• Bring order to my home whenever possible
• Spend time with friends
• Read good books
• React positively to pressures
• Speak kindly, with patience, to my children
• Think and do good things

May we learn to dwell upon the good things of life.  May they fill our minds, hearts, and souls, pushing out the darkness that waits to envelope us.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

It is interesting that this Scripture follows the verse that reminds us to “be anxious for nothing”.  We need to get rid of all that weighs us down and move ahead in the Lord!