How to Handle Discouragement

by Benjamin Burke

Do you ever get discouraged? Maybe you’ve moved away somewhere and have to make new friends. Imagine what it’s like to live in another country where communicating with other people, about simple things even, can be hard.

It can be hard to go through periods of time when you feel down. It’s even harder to come to God with it. But the Lord challenges us to trust in Him and seek Him. Most people say, “It’s hard enough to follow God, but to give up everything, including friends and family, impossible!” But if you want to know God, you have to love Him and believe that He is enough, no matter what problems you face.

When I am feeling a little down, there are a few things I do. I pray, try to keep a clean heart and mind and not fixate on my troubles, and I choose to concentrate on God’s goodness. I remember to think about scriptures that I know will encourage and strengthen me. Two that I like are:

1.) For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear” (Hebrews 13: 5, 6). 2.) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James4:8).

I also remember to be thankful. It is easy to think about the things you don’t have, but it is more important to praise God for the things you do have. I try in everything I do to listen out for God. I am re-reading a book right now called the Door Within where the motto of the knights is, “You are not alone”. When I read this I remember that God wants to remind me of His love even when I am doing everyday things like reading. Finally, try to find someone to show kindness to and encourage them in what they are going through. Remember, you might not be the only one feeling down.

So whenever I am feeling down, I try to turn the spotlight off of me and onto God. When I do I always feel less discouraged.

Be On Guard

by Sterling Burke

“Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith,

be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I have been taking a martial arts class with our teammate, Jonathan Trentham. The theme of the class is the verse above. I have read and re-read it many times through the years and it always challenges me.

This whole verse really stands out to me every time I read it. Paul was writing to the church in Corinth encouraging them to keep the faith and honor the Lord in all things, but also warning them as well not to fall into the hands of the enemy.

“Be on your guard” In the first 4 words Paul has already set a strong clear warning to the Church. Paul is telling them to be alert, not to let down their watch to continue to press in the Lord Jesus and his plan for their lives and not to allow room for anything that is not of God in their lives. He could have stopped the verse right there but he doesn’t. He continues to stress the point by saying “Stand firm in the faith”. His word of warning is growing louder and louder. Now it’s a cry to the people, "Follow the Savior, don’t give up, keep your ground, stand firm in the faith!”. He’s now pleading, begging the people not to give up hope.

The next part is letting them know not to back down, never to back down, and to keep up the fight! “Be courageous”, he says, as he encourages his brothers in the faith to maintain the fight, because God is on our side. That part really stuck out to me the most; “be courageous”. There's so many things that come to mind when you think of courageous but always one of the last is being courageous for the One that deserves our bravery the most.

Paul goes on to say “Be strong”. He’s not talking about physical strength but more mental and spiritual strength in God. Be strong in the Lord. That means keep his laws and commandments, His Word, 100% of the time. Again Paul’s prayerfully begging that they keep firm and stand in Jesus.

So, first “Be on your guard stand firm in the faith” he is warning his friends to keep the faith not to fall out. Then secondly “be courageous, be strong” he's telling them to keep up the fight in the spirit. What could Paul possibly say to wrap up such an amazing couple of verses? He ends with “do everything in love.” Be on your guard stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong; he chooses to end with, do everything in love. Do everything, not just half the time, not just when you feel like it, but do everything in love, all the time. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be on your guard stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.” with only a few remarkable words, Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, managed to say so much.