Overcoming the Big “D” of Discouragement (Pt. 2)
Have you ever felt like throwing in the towel – just quitting? If you have been in ministry work for very long at all, you have probably felt this way. This is exactly where Elijah found himself. He had just won a sizzling victory over Satan! He humiliated 450 prophets of Baal in dramatic fashion in 1 Kings 18. He showed that Baal was a false god and his God was the true and living God. This was a total slam dunk victory!
But things can change quickly. By chapter 19, Elijah was actually asking God to take his life. He not only wanted to quit ministry; he wanted to give up on life.
He ran away into the wilderness, collapsed in exhaustion, and was ready to call it quits. Here is the good news – Elijah overcame this terrible time of depression and discouragement! He beat it and was able to continue on for God. This was a pivotal moment in Elijah’s life.
This story is in the Bible because it gives us such true insight and understanding into this thing of discouragement. Last week we learned 3 basic facts about discouragement:
- First, good people battle discouragement.
- Second, discouragement can come at the strangest times.
- Third, discouragement can be disabling.
Now let’s look at 3 characteristics of discouragement.
1. The loss of courage – 1 Kings 19:3a
Have you felt like you lost your courage? Have you ever felt beaten down and incapable of rising up to a challenge? Odds are you are suffering from discouragement.
Elijah just defeated a king and 450 prophets of Baal. He rose up mightily to the challenge. But now he faces a different challenge and he flees in the face of it. One mean, threatening woman caused him to cower in fear.
When I was young I was never afraid of a challenge or a difficult person. Bring it on! But when I got into my 50’s I found myself wanting to deal with problems less and less. Some of this is natural and simply is a mellowing process that most people go through. But if I am completely honest, there were times when I should have courageously stood up to people and I didn’t. And many times it was due to discouragement. I was so discouraged I simply could not muster up the strength to confront situations that I needed to confront – that staff member that is out of line, the board member that is spreading discontentment, the volunteer that needs a crucial conversation, the deadlines that people are missing, etc.
Discouragement can cause you to feel like you simply cannot face another problem today. Do you find yourself running and hiding from problems that you would have tackled head on? We need to recognize that this is a sign of discouragement.
2. Withdrawing from others – 1 Kings 19:3-4
Elijah left his servant and obviously didn’t want anybody around him. He wanted to be left alone. He fled into the wilderness and withdrew.
- Do you find yourself struggling to get out of bed and go to the church office?
- Does part of you dread when Sundays roll around, and it takes every bit of will power to get up and preach?
- Do you find yourself retreating from social situations and constantly wanting to sleep or binge watch some TV when you are not working?
- Do you find yourself even withdrawing from your family?
These could be signs that you are depressed. Talk to a friend about it. See a counselor or therapist. Get help and don’t suffer in silence. Pastors are human beings and we can struggle with depression just like everybody else. Never be ashamed to admit that you need help.
On the flip side of this, when loved ones or staff members withdraw, don’t take it personal. Simply realize that they may be battling discouragement. Pray and intercede for them. Don’t beat them down. Be a helping hand.
One pastor told me that he had a staff member that was not returning emails in a timely manner. After they dug in to find out why it was discovered that this gentleman had tragically lost his young wife to cancer and part of his coping mechanism was to not open emails. He was so afraid of bad news, that he withdrew and avoided them entirely. Through counsel he was able to overcome this fear. Maybe you are withdrawing as a coping mechanism for fear and discouragement. The first step is to recognize it.
3. A feeling of worthlessness – 19:4
When you read verse 4 it is apparent that Elijah felt so worthless. Because of his discouragement, he fled in fear, and then this led him to feel worthless. It is easy to get into this vicious cycle:
- Discouragement leads to doubt (you lose your courage), doubt leads to disablement (you withdraw and don’t want to face things), and disablement leads to being down on yourself (a feeling of worthlessness). Then this leads to more discouragement and doubt, and the vicious cycle just continues.
Let me end this blog by saying that in Jesus, you have so much value and worth to the Lord. You are precious to Him! He has gifted you to serve Him and impact lives. You are a special creation in Christ that God has designed to be a vital tool and instrument of power in His hands.
Satan’s greatest tool is discouragement. So many pastors deal with this. If you find you have lost your courage, you can get it back! Elijah did. But the first step is to be honest with yourself if you are discouraged and talk to somebody. Don’t keep it in the darkness. Bring that discouragement out into the light where Jesus can do His amazing work of healing. Feel free to reach out to me through the website. I am here for you!