Information Related to "Overcoming Discouragement"
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Overcoming Discouragement By Hector M. Earle God has guaranteed our success if we put our trust in Him to help us overcome those debilitating feelings of discouragement.
e all have our days of the blues and setbacks. Fortunately, for many of us these days are few, and in many cases we can bounce back and get on with our lives. However, for some people discouragement can be a continuous battle. It can leave a person feeling listless and useless. The negative effects of this debilitating emotion can also wreak havoc on our lives, leading to all kinds of failures and setbacks. Discouragement has been known to reverse progress, destroy enthusiasm and bring on depression. If left untreated, the results can be catastrophic. To make matters worse, discouragement is said to be a very difficult emotion to trace and perhaps one of the hardest to overcome. Sources of discouragement While there may be many known and unknown causes for discouragement, there seem to be two common ones that are more prevalent than others. The most common cause of discouragement is being overwhelmed by goals and tasks that seem too big to reach. The expectation to make the grade appears awesome and, in some cases, the mountain seems almost impossible to climb. Consequently, people view their shortcomings with doubts and misgivings. This leads to the tendency to give up and quit.
Whether we are discouraged because of the enormity of our goals or depressed due to the lack of goals, the result can be a life of regression, stagnation and depression. Growth is vital Both kinds of discouragement lead to one common element -- a lack of growth and progress. In essence, then, a lack of progress is a root cause of disappointments and setbacks for many people. A careful study of the Bible reveals that our Creator has put a desire in all of us to achieve, to grow and to succeed.
Set goals It is vital then for all of us to embark on a program of setting positive goals in order to grow and lead a rich and productive life. People who say life is meaningless and not worthwhile are really saying that they themselves have no personal goals that are worthwhile. Developing goals worth shooting for and breaking down those goals into manageable steps prevents us from being overwhelmed with the "bigness" of the tasks.
You will no doubt meet hardships and obstacles on your journey, but look on obstacles not as problems and setbacks, but as challenges and opportunities to learn new ways to accomplish your goals. Sometimes a little more push, a higher reach or a more determined effort can make the difference between success and failure. Clearly the only sure way to master discouragement is to establish meaningful goals and grow daily toward their fulfillment. The main ingredient Although we have a part to play in reaching our goals, we cannot go it alone. We can only go so far. The real secret of a successful life of growth and development lies in the power and might of our Creator God and the power of His Holy Spirit through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we are to accomplish goals that bring lasting happiness, we must be spiritually united with Christ and wholly dependent on God for direction and guidance (Proverbs 3:5-6). This is the key ingredient.
Human effort alone is insufficient; we need the power and strength of God's Spirit to empower us and give us the courage and motivation to press forward to accomplish our goals. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). In summary then, the secret to overcoming discouragement and experiencing a fruitful life is becoming aware that God has created in all of us a desire to achieve, grow and succeed. To fulfill this desire, we must set the right goals and allow God to determine what they should be and rely on Him for guidance and direction. We must focus on achieving goals every day of our lives and attain them through "bite-size" accomplishments, all the while allowing the help from our Almighty Creator to bring everything together for the right results. God has guaranteed our success if we put our trust in Him to help us overcome discouragement and become the productive, happy and successful persons we were meant to be. Recommended reading For more about finding and achieving the greater purpose in life, see the helpful brochure . You might also be interested in the reprint article "Depression: Ways to Win the Battle". Copyright 2007 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Other Articles by Hector Earle
Origin of article "Overcoming Discouragement"
Keywords: discouragement growth goals
Holy spirit - renewing, growing: