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The Author of Discouragement

Ugh! I hate feeling discouraged or depressed! I am typically an ENcourager always trying to look on the bright side and find Christ in the situation. And that is also my vision for this blog. But looking on the bright side of something means acknowledging there is darkness present. One thing I sometimes notice, particularly in Christian circles, is this need to act like everything is perfect in their life. They do everything perfectly, from parenting to housekeeping to relationships. If they open the door of being imperfect (i.e. human) it is only a crack and only to show how easy it should be to jump back to perfectionism.

But the truth is we live in a fallen world. We deal with hurt, disappointment and fear. We deal with loss. People. Jobs. Dreams. People we love reject us. Or let us down. We may try to insulate ourselves and our homes from the world but still it intrudes. Often people draw the conclusion that they just don't measure up. They just aren't good enough.

But it is important to look past the circumstances and feelings we have in order to find the absolute truth. The author of discouragement is not your circumstances. Not your weight or a new wrinkle. Your material possessions or lack thereof. It isn't found in unpaid bills or unhappy marriages. It isn't even found in grief. No, the author of discouragement is Satan himself. He wants to undermine your efforts and point his finger at you, all to tear you down and in the process....tear down your relationship with Christ. That is the root. We are in the world so STUFF is always going to be happening. But if we don't learn to recognize Satan's handiwork we are going to fall victim to it. He pokes and prods at the wounds the world leaves, exposing raw pain. Then when he has the wound reopened it would seem he pours salt on it. We sometimes call it "when it rains it pours." Sometimes it feels as though we are hit over and over until we are left battered and bruised. At other times it feels as though we are on the mountaintop and suddenly we fall, slipping and sliding into oblivion. We don't know how everything went downhill we just find ourselves there.

Put your faith in God! He is the Great Physician! He is the Supreme Encourager! He longs to gather us to His bosom as a mother would her child, to give love and comfort. People are so misled when they fall for the false teaching of Christianity=Automatic Happiness and Prosperity. Just as a child can fall even though she holds her father's hand so we can fall even though we hold the hand of the Heavenly Father. But just as the father instantly reaches to catch his child and draw her in his arms to care for her hurts so our Heavenly Father will do for us. Discouragement is the enemy hoping to force you into giving up on God. Recognize it for what it is! A thief is roaming around your doorstep! Take heart! Don't give up!
"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

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