#223 - DISCOURAGEMENT

We all face discouragement.  For a lot of us discouragement seems to be a way of life, and if you let it take control, it will destroy you.  Discouragement is thinking only of yourself.  It happens only to those who have just themselves on their minds; a man is discouraged because he primarily has turned his eyes inward instead of outward.  He sees that whatever has attacked him has affected him personally.  He is totally occupied with just himself.  He's thinking of no one but self.

The best way to overcome discouragement is to look out instead of in.  Look out toward someone else; encourage another person, and you'll be surprised what will happen to you.  There was once a mother who was working one day with her young crippled boy, whose frail weak limbs were covered with steel braces all the way up to his thighs.  He was hobbling along in what would have been a discouraging way.  But you see his mother was encouraging him every step.  You could hear her say, "That's good, that's a way, you're doing fine." And then her son would try even harder to do better than he had done before; not to show off but just to please his mother.  So encouraged, he finally said, "Mama watch me.  I'm going to run." And then his mother said, "OK I'll stand over here, let me see you run." Some mothers would have said, "No you better not, you'll fall and hurt yourself." But not this mother.  She backed up two or three steps away from him, and kneeling opened her arms to him and then she said, "Run to me!" He took a couple steps, and did pretty well and then he caught one foot on the brace of his other leg and he would have fallen but his mother caught him, and put him back on his feet.  She then stroked his hair, kissed his pale cheek, and said " that was fine, that was great, you can do better next time."

Don't you think that mother was discouraged?  Well she could have been if she hadn't been constantly encouraging her little boy.  Encouragement is General Douglas McArthur telling the Americans something that became the battle cry for the Philippines:  "I shall return!" Encouragement is hearing the words, "our economy is getting better," or "the crime rate is dropping this year over last."

Encouragement is hearing things like "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy- laden and I'll give you rest." Of course, it’s Jesus Christ who said that.  And it is to the Christian that he says things like, "With my help you can do all things, as I'll strengthen you." A lot of friends really believe that Christianity is just a crutch, something you don't need, something you could get along better without.  Well, I'll agree that Christianity is a crutch, but it is only those who are on that crutch that standing.  If you don't lean on Christ, you're lying flat on your face.  Personally, I'll take my stand on Jesus.  There he stands beckoning, encouraging all the way.  All you have to do is listen -- listen to the Bible.