Dealing with Discouragement

How do you deal with discouragement? Do you let what your discouraged about drive you to take another step in another direction or does it keep you complacent? An issue that I have faced was having a lingering feeling of discouragement. I am learning myself to keep going even when discouraged and coming to realize that the opportunity to feel dispirited may appear unavoidable. I am 30 now and I am telling myself that I refuse to not know how to handle life setbacks at this age. I do not want to be 30 handling situations as I would if I was 20. It can be said that as you get older your mind should be at a different state due to development, experience, etc. When we are discouraged this can be linked to a negative emotion such as depression or despair. I would find a reason to feel down and let joy sit in the background. I have learned that to have joy you have to choose it and maintain it. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom ( 2 Corinthians 3:17)

My goal is to be more joyful and ready to be positive despite discouragement that arises. Imagine what more can be done in the moments that we use to be down. I want to be more careful in the perspective that I take in a discouraging circumstance.

Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a source of encouragement for me as well as a reminder of how much God is with me. It says to trust God with all your heart, and to lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge him and when doing this He will direct your path. Discouragement can also be linked to a lack of trust in God because of not being able to see what is next. You have to analyze what exactly is making you discouraged and most likely the reason is something opposite of what God has said, linked to a lack of patience, understanding, needing a quick answer or result, or an individual in your life. The word says that God wants us to cast our anxieties on him because He cares for us ( 1 Peter 5:7). Whatever is discouraging us He wants us to give to Him and give the opportunity to show us they way to navigate through those frustrating situations.

Due to the relationship that we have or can have with Christ we can access the things that we have available through the Holy Spirit and what Christ died for. Since I carry the Holy Spirit with me I have access to whatever I need in the supernatural. Everyday there will be a reason to make you feel as if being or remaining sad is a better choice or inevitable. I recently lost someone that I cared about and I had to remain positive and remember what the word says about a believers transition to Heaven. Everyday there will be an opportunity for you to be discouraged, but God has given us the strength and wisdom to choose to overcome it.

Today find your reason to be in joy and allow God to do the rest. We have to find a way to balance our emotions while maintaining a belief in the word of God. At this time I can grieve, but also have to be careful to not let it consume me. I want the word of God and His love to consume me and not my surrounding circumstances or temporary instances that try to throw me off course. The word says to pray continually and to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).This means that we should be able to pursue a positive mindset. The good news is that we can pursue this positive mindset with the help of Christ. We can do all things through Him that gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). I pray that you utilize the strength that you have through God to keep pushing and while doing so to walk in Joy. Go in Godly Confidence!