Overcoming the Big “D” of Discouragement (Pt. 4)
Is it possible to see God doing amazing things in and through our lives yet battle crippling discouragement? Absolutely, it can happen. And it did happen to the prophet Elijah!
Elijah had just won a mighty victory over 450 prophets of Baal in dramatic fashion in 1 Kings 18. But by chapter 19, Elijah wanted God to end his life. He didn’t feel like his life was worth continuing. Elijah is the picture of a discouraged man. He fled into the wilderness, collapsed under a tree, and was ready to give up.
We learned in a previous blog that discouragement happens to some of God’s greatest servants. The Bible declares right before this that “God’s hand was on Elijah”, yet he still struggled with discouragement and it was disabling!
How do we overcome these times of discouragement in our lives? Remind yourself constantly and affirm:
1. God has not forgotten you. 1 Kings 19:5, 9, 13
Elijah tried to out-run Jezebel, but he could not out-run the love and grace of God. Even though Elijah was running, God always knew right where he was and had His eye upon him – under a tree (vs. 5), in a cave (vs. 9, 13). God knows right where you are and He is there for you. He has not forgotten you!
2. God cares. 19:5-18
When Elijah was saying ridiculous things, God simply put him to sleep and fed him. Do you know why? – Because God cares. When nobody else cared for Elijah and he really didn’t want anybody to care, God cared. 1 Peter 5:7 declares, “Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.”
3. God can still use you to win mighty victories in the future.
Read 2 Kings 1 for an example. God didn’t toss Elijah aside and say, “I’m through with you. If you are going to sit around and feel sorry for yourself, then I’m done with you. I’m moving on to somebody else.” No, God still used him. Are you discouraged? Have you been struggling? God understands and He desperately wants to use you. He is not through with you!
4. Allow God to use others to encourage you. 19:19-21
God knew he needed a godly companion to prevent this in the future, so he sent Elisha to him and he ministered to him.
When you are discouraged, it is tempting to get off alone and close yourself off from everybody. When others reach out to help you and encourage you, give them a chance. Everybody needs somebody. God saw that even the mighty prophet Elijah needed help; he needed somebody. Don’t be afraid to open up to another person and say, “Hey, I’m discouraged. I need help!”
Maybe you are not in full blown discouragement, but you are seeing some warning signs and dashboard alerts.
Here are some practical principles we learn from this story about preventing discouragement.
1. Maintain a proper balance in your life.
Life may feel like it is out of control – work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep…Can you relate to this? You must re-organize your life and make time for rest and relaxation with loved ones and friends. The angel didn’t tell Elijah to hold an all night prayer vigil or read his Bible from cover to cover. The angel knew he simply needed some good R & R. Times of physical and mental rejuvenation are so crucial.
Is the carpet at your house made of egg shells? Everybody is kind of grouchy and grumpy, and snapping at each other. Why is this? It could simply be that family members are physically drained.
2. Take care of your body. Cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Elijah obviously had not done this. Who knows when he had his last good meal and a good night’s sleep.
You only have one body. You must care for it. Your physical state will affect your mental, emotional, and spiritual state. Your diet and sleeping habits are so crucial. There is so much talk today about stress, depression, and different forms of anxiety. To manage this, we must make good, healthy, lifestyle changes.
Most pastors do not put a high precedent on self-care. They push themselves to the limit and beyond! Take care of yourself. Remember, this is a marathon, not a 50 yard dash.
3. Stay connected in life-giving friendships.
Elijah isolated himself. He left his servant and then traveled another day into the wilderness. He didn’t want to be around anybody. This was very unhealthy for Elijah and led to suicidal type of thoughts.
Elijah told God, “I’m all alone. There is nobody who will stand with me.” But he was very wrong about that. And it’s interesting that God gave Elijah a friend and comrade at the end of this chapter – Elisha. Elisha ended up being a friend and faithful co-worker with Elijah for the next 10 years. Pastors need friends and they need friends outside of their local congregation. I gather pastors together once a quarter in meetings all over the state of Florida and one of the greatest benefits of this is connecting guys together and allowing those life-giving friendships to develop.
Pastors need counselors. Pastors need therapists. Pastors need friends. Bottom line – Pastors need others!
So how is that for practicality? Elijah was a discouraged man and God gave Him food, rest, and a friend! Don’t we have an amazing God!
Are you battling discouragement? Reach out to somebody today. You can reach out to me through this website. It’s great to read a book about how to overcome discouragement, but sometimes we need another living, human soul to walk with us, talk to us, and be a friend to us.