Welcome to the In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Thursday, July twenty-fifth. Have you ever felt surrounded by a cloud of disappointment? Let's learn to shake those oppressive feelings as Dr. Stanley's Life Principles series helps in overcoming discouragement. Are you discouraged?
Do you know why? What's going on in your life that would cause you to be depressed? Lost hope? Don't see anything in your future whatsoever?
What's going on inside of you? What causes you to be distressed? What causes you to be discouraged? Well, if you watch the news every night, more than likely that would discourage you for sure. But it just might be that you are looking at your mortgage payment and thinking there's no way. You don't have a job, you're hurting, your family's hurting, you could lose it all. So you have lots of reasons to feel discouraged. And so what you have to ask is this, you have to ask yourself, how long is this going on? And you may even ask the question, where is God? He said He would help me, but at this point I don't see anything going on. And so maybe you feel like you've been caught in this grip of discouragement.
It's a cloud that covers you, like you're walking in the fog and you don't see any help anywhere along the way. Well, one of the most powerful servants of God in the Scripture was David. And he went through difficult times just like that, times of great sorrow and heartache and discouragement. But he had an answer, he discovered how to deal with discouragement.
And what I want to talk about in this message is overcoming discouragement. And I want to read two or three verses here in the Psalms that express how David was feeling. He's asking himself, why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him. Then he says again in the next chapter, why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me? So, here is a man that has given us so many wonderful, wonderful events in his own life through the work of the Holy Spirit. And we see him brave, courageous, bold, and yet he had the same issue that many people have today. And that is he went through those times of discouragement. Well, I want us to look at this whole idea of what discouragement is about and what it's like. Well, first of all, you and I know that discouragement is universal. There's no such thing as a person living out their life and not being discouraged sometimes in their life. And you may be very discouraged right now. And if you look around at the economy and the things that are happening to people today, there's a reason, humanly speaking, to feel discouraged. But you have to stay that way. So, it is a universal feeling that people have.
And not only that, it is a recurring kind of thing. You can be discouraged today and get out of that. Then next week something may happen, you may become discouraged again.
It depends upon the circumstance and what's going on in your life. And likewise, it's very contagious. Now, you want to know when a person is really, really down and they're very discouraged and you begin to talk to them, the next thing you know what's happening. If you're not careful, you walk away discouraged. And some people know how to take their self-pity and move it along to somebody else's life. And not that they necessarily mean to, but discouragement can be very contagious and very destructive. Likewise, it's unpredictable. You now never know when discouragement may hit us or something that may be happening in our lives or maybe something happening in your children's life or something happened in some other part of your family.
When David said he encouraged himself, it made me ask the question, well, how did he do that? Now, all discouragement's temporary. It's not going to last forever. But many people get caught up in it.
And it's like this cloud, this fog, this haze that settles in their life. Can't seem to see their way clear. Don't see any way out. Blame somebody else. Get angry over the whole situation.
And so what we have to ask is, how do we handle that? Well, let's be sure we understand the difference between a disappointment and a discouragement. A disappointment is an emotional response to some failed expectation, some hope or some desire.
And a student does his best in school and gets a grade that's very disappointing. And you're not going to go through life and think about all the things that would disappoint us. But now, disappointment is unavoidable. We're going to be disappointed with people, situations and circumstances. But discouragement is something else. Discouragement is that feeling of despair, that feeling of despondency. And so, discouragement is a choice we make. I do not have to remain discouraged. I may get discouraged, but I don't have to remain discouraged. And so, a disappointment's unavoidable. Things will hit us and disappoint us and can bring on discouragement. But if I choose to remain discouraged, it's because of a choice you and I make. So the question is, what's the cure for all that? Well, let me just say two or three things here.
And the first one is this. Now listen carefully. It's your viewpoint. That is, if I want to get out of my discouragement, it doesn't make any difference how it started, where it started, with whom it started, and what caused it.
But if I want to get out, I've got to think right. What is my viewpoint? First of all, I've got to look within myself and say, what am I discouraged about? What caused me to get this way? How long has it taken me to get into this position, this condition? So first of all, I've got to look within myself.
Most folks look out and want to blame somebody. First thing is to look within. The second thing I'm to do is to look up. Now God is all-powerful. I know that He has the power to get me out of this. The Bible says He loves me, and I know the truth is that He does love me. I know the truth is that He's with me. I know the truth is He has the power to rescue me from this.
I know that's what He says. So I'm going to look up. Now listen carefully.
If you don't look up, you are in trouble. The third thing I'm going to do is I'm going to look back. Because if I look back, listen, no matter who you are, if you're a believer, you look back, look how many times God's brought you through this mess, that mess, this situation, that circumstance. He got you over this, through them, all the other things in the past. So you've got all this history.
Listen, you have history of God's deliverance of your life. So you want to look back. Well, people say, well, I've been looking back a long time. No, no, no, no. Look, you look back at what He's done for you, and then you look ahead.
If God can do that, He can do this. I'm looking ahead. I'm not looking back. And there are a lot of people who live in the rearview mirror.
They just, they're always living that way. Well, let me tell you about the past. Don't tell me too much about the past. Tell me about what God's doing now in your life.
And tell me what you want Him to do in the future. Listen, if He could bring you through that, He can get you out of this, and He can take you where He wants you to go. Remember, He has a will, a purpose, and a plan for your life. And that will and purpose and plan for your life is good.
It is always good. So, the first thing I have to do is get my viewpoint right. I have to decide. I'm going to look within and find out where did this start and how it all began. I'm going to look up to the Father for help and direction and guidance. I'm going to look back and be reminded of how many times He's helped me. And I'm going to look ahead and think, God, you don't change. You help me then, you'll help me in the future. I'm heading for the future. I may feel like I have chains on my ankle. I may feel like I'm at the bottom of the road. But God doesn't change.
And if He doesn't change, if He got me out of the past, He can get me out of this and He can take me where He wants me to go. It is a matter of viewpoint. That's number one. Now, the second thing I'd say about that is this. And that is the right response.
What's the right response? Well, if you turn to Mark six. You know, I think about people who don't read the Bible, I feel sorry for you.
Because you, listen, if you're not in trouble now, you're going to be. Now, listen to what Jesus said. He was wise enough to know when His disciples needed to stop.
Because no matter how successful they'd been preaching and so forth, here's what had happened. Right before this passage is the description of John the Baptist being beheaded. And so, here's one of Jesus' choice servants and one of His faithful, loving friends. And He has been beheaded.
So, what happens? Verse thirty of Mark chapter six. The apostles gathered together with Jesus and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, watch this now, come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest awhile.
For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. You know what? He knew that you get too fatigued. And there's responsibility.
And you're accountable. And you just keep going and keep going and keep going and keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing. And finally, physically it begins to work on you. And you remember the little script, H-A-L-T. Don't get too what? Hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.
Because when we do, you'll get discouraged. Well, I just can't keep going. I got all these responsibilities. And so, what happens? Well, what happens? Well, what happens? Well, what happens? Well, what happens? Well, what happens? Well, what happens? Well, what happens? Well, what happens? Well, what happens? So, first of all, sometimes you need to stop and rest and say, all right, I need to take a good look at myself from God's viewpoint and find out what's going on here.
So, I take a rest. Secondly, I look at my life and think, what needs to be reorganized in my life? You say, well, reorganization's not my problem.
Now watch this. What am I doing that's right, but I'm doing it the wrong way? Which is taking energy, time, and maybe money that would not be necessary for you to spend. So, you have to sort of reorganize your life. Because life is moving so rapidly. And you see, as life around us moves rapidly, we have to move in cadence with it. We have to ask ourselves the question, how do I do more less time, more efficiently, more effectively?
In other words, we have to get reorganized oftentimes. And a third thing is, watch this, and this is the most important, we have to resolve in our mind and heart to trust the living God. We have to resolve to trust Him.
It doesn't make any difference what you're going through. I have to resolve to trust Him. And one of the things that Jesus dealt with His disciples above everything else was trusting Him. And He would say, you know, oh ye of little faith, why didn't you believe Me?
In other words, He had to deal with that. And we have to resolve in our heart, I'm going to trust Him. Now, what is it I'm going to trust? I'm going to trust Him to be the God He says He is, that He controls everything, that He has established His throne in the heavens and His sovereignty rules over all. I'm going to trust Him that He is the God of this universe. The second thing I'm going to trust Him for is that He's the good God. He says He's good.
He is good. I can look at good in my life. I can look at times in my life when I thought what He thought was good, I thought was bad.
But then I finally opened my eyes and realized that what He thought was good, I discovered it was good. He's a good God. You say, well, how does good God and punishment come together? Well, He's so good He doesn't break His Word. He says you disobey Him, He's coming to you. And so He's a good God.
Not only that, not only is He controlled and is He good, but He is with me in every single circumstance. And it's interesting to me when I see people who are discouraged and I say, well, what about that verse that says, I will never leave you nor forsake you all. I know God's with me. And what's the next three-letter word?
B-U-T. Listen. But, listen, He says He will always be with His children. Where is He? He is living on the inside of you through the Holy Spirit who came to indwell you and seal you as a child of God. The moment you were saved, you became His. He says I'll never leave you nor forsake you. Where is He? On the inside giving direction and guidance and strength and encouragement and help and everything possible to help us become the persons He wants us to be.
That's who He is. So, if I resolve in my heart that my God is in control, my God loves me, my God has all power, and my God is with me, it doesn't make any difference what I face in life, I will never face it alone. Can't face it alone. And remember this, you can get lonely as a believer, but you cannot be alone.
The Holy Spirit is living on the inside of you in such a fashion you and He could never be separated. Now, whatever may be causing you discouragement, remember this. If you resolve in your heart, I'm going to trust Him.
Why? Because He says, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, whatever you're going through, He says in all your ways, trust Him and He will make your path straight. He will direct your path. That's the promise of God.
Now, it's interesting that people who know that they're believers, no question about it, say they trust God. Well, what about that verse? He says, if you will lean not to your own human understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, seek Him, listen to Him.
What are you saying, Lord? He will direct your path. No matter what's caused your discouragement, listen, God with all of His power, all of His goodness and all of His love is going to direct you if you will listen to Him. He's going to turn this time of discouragement into something good in your life. This is not the end of the world.
You may think it is. You've got somebody who's on your team, on your side to help you, strengthen you, uphold you, and listen, to give you a whole new perspective on life if you'll just listen and believe Him. If you'll just listen and believe Him. And then, I have to resist the discouragement. Listen, because disappointments can come and they're unavoidable, you can get covered with discouragement in a moment, but you don't have to accept it. Remember, disappointments are unavoidable. Discouragement is a choice.
I refuse to be discouraged on what basis? On the basis that God loves me. He's a good God. He's all powerful. He's with me. He's going to see me through it. And He promises to never leave me. I'm in this mess, but I'm in here with God.
And what happens? All of a sudden, things begin to change because you have a change of attitude. Now you're ready to go to work. Now you're ready to do whatever God wants you to do.
You say, Well, I don't have a job. Trust Him. And I would encourage anybody, whoever you are, remember this.
Your discouragement at this point is a choice. God will get you through this. And He'll get you moving in the right direction because He's God. Now, if you're not a believer, you can't ignore God and then say, Oh Lord, I need a job. I need this and I need that.
It's not the way it works. And I would say to anybody, the most important thing in your life when you're going through discouragement is to get in this book every single day. And I can remember the most difficult trying times in my life, the things that would have discouraged anybody.
And a couple of them lasted a pretty good while. What kept me going week after week after week after year after year after year was this. And that is every Sunday I had to preach. Now, I wanted to preach, but I had to study all week long. And so, what happens, nobody had difficult and painful and how much I may have wept and felt rejected and all the rest. I was in the Word every single day getting ready for Sunday.
And people would ask me, Well, how do you do so and so? I didn't understand until I got through it all and thought, Lord, it's because every day I was reading Your Word. Every day I was feasting on what You said and what You thought I was getting Your thoughts and Your ideas in my mind.
Sometimes I may have been doing it and weeping at the same time, but God was doing something in my life through His Word. And I would say to you, if you have a closed Bible at your house, you better open it up. You need to open it up and find out, God, what do you want to say to me?
I don't even know how to start reading. You just open God's Word and start in the Gospels or in the Epistles one or in the Psalms or in the Proverbs and just say, God, I want You to speak to my heart. I'm tired of this, sick and tired of being discouraged.
I want to live my life like You want me to live it. This is the only way I know to start. I'm getting in the Word, God, and I speak to my heart. Will He speak to you?
Yes. Why? Because He loves you and because He wants the best for you, but I can tell you, if you don't get in the Word of God, you're going to have a hard time getting out of your discouragement. And my prayer is that you get in this book, get out of discouragement, and get happy and joyous and contented and fruitful and profitable once again, and your life is my prayer.
Now, where does that start? It starts with acknowledging your need of God. It begins with your acknowledgment of your sinfulness if you've never trusted Jesus as your Savior. Asking Him to forgive you of your sins. Telling Him that you need Him desperately. You're surrendering your life to Him, and the moment you're going to tell Him that, according to His eternal Word, He says He will forgive your sin, write your name in the Lamb's Book of Life. He will indwell you by the Holy Spirit, and forever and ever, you are one of His children, and He's going to walk with you every step of the way from that moment until He calls you home to heaven. You can't beat that.
That's life at its best. And that's His offer to you, and my prayer that you'll make that decision while you still have time. Thank you for listening to part two of Overcoming Discouragement. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTouch Ministries, stop by intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of InTouch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.
