How to Handle Discouragement as a Believer

How do you react when you experience a major setback or disappointment? What do you do when you are faced with a very discouraging situation? Do you get angry at God and throw tantrums? How do you react to people around you in those seasons too? 

Well, Bo matter how you act, discouragement and disappointment are random occurrences in our lives. There are Bible characters and believers today who was faced with a discouraging situation like you. Let's see who he is and how he reacted when he faced a challenge. 

In 1st Samuel 30, David and his men went to war and came back only to find that their homes had been invaded, their wives and children had been taken captive. David and his men were so discouraged, so much that they raised up their voices and wept. David was a king but he was human too, so he felt the pain of the situation. He was distressed. To make matters worse, the men began to talk about stoning him. How disheartening! 

1. Do not Curse God

David was pained but he didn't curse God. He felt the heat of the situation but he did not get angry at God for that. Instead, he encouraged himself in God. Then afterwards, he sought the face of God on what to do. There are several lessons to draw from David's experience.

The first is the encouragement David gave himself. In that situation, nobody was there to cheer him up. Everyone around him was emotionally down and embittered, so it was impossible for anybody to encourage anybody. But David had Himself encouraged in God who wasn't discouraged. He couldn't draw strength from anyone aside God.

Like David, there are times when you may not be able to get encouragement from people surrounding you because everyone them is experiencing discouragement in one form or the other. In such times, you would have to draw encouragement from God Himself because God is the perfect Encourager.

2. Encourage Yourself in God

Another thing to learn from David's situation is that after he encouraged himself, he went ahead to ask God what he needs to do. He did not just wallow in self-pity. He sought God's face and enquired 'should I pursue?... Would I overtake?" He did not allow the current situation have him think there is no hope for recovery. No. By his words, it's obvious that there was still faith in him, otherwise he wouldn't have asked if he should pursue. He knew that someway somehow, there was still a possibility to recover what was lost. He was not without hope. He still had faith in God.

3. See beyond the Present Situation 

Like David, I want you to see beyond your current situation. I want you to draw strength from God - the perfect encourager and ask Him 'if you should pursue and if you would overtake'. A man who can still find God in the middle of the most difficult situation is not a loser, he is a winner! He is victorious! Such a man has a crazy faith.

So is it a carry-over you have? Why not draw strength from God and ask him how you can still win? Is it a miscarriage? Why not ask draw strength from your Maker? Is it barrenness in all rounds? Why not find God amidst this and ask Him for a way out?

4. Reassure yourself of Victory

To everyone reading this, I want you to know that your situation is not beyond God. It's within the confines of what what God can handle. Trust Him. Draw strength from him and I tell you, you are going to emerge a Victor. You are not a loser. You are not a failure. You will be fine.

Therefore whenever you are discouraged, remember the lessons from David and try to apply them. You might have lost a lot but God is still the one who can help recover all that was lost. So try to find Him amidst your pain and you will emerge victorious.