Overcoming Personal Discouragement

A friend, Farida Kabayao, invited us to visit the church their family was regularly attending at Quezon St., Iloilo City. The pastors were a couple from Singapore who had the burden to do ministry here in the Philippines. They have been here for 22 years.

Pastor Tony, their head or senior pastor, delivered a wonderful message about dealing with personal discouragement. The Scripture text he used for reference was Psalm 42 which David wrote when he was at the point of being despondent perhaps because of the persecution he got from Saul.

He shared that to get out of your personal discouragement:

1. Replenish your Spiritual life.

The Holy Spirit will satisfy us especially now that life isn't getting better. Which is the truth, no matter how much material things we own, life is just getting worse. God said the same to Elijah, the journey ahead is too great and we need to rely on the strength that the Holy Spirit would give us.

2. We need the touch of God.

Let us cry out to God to touch us. This is actually a natural volition because people tend to remember God when they are at their lowest.

3. Go back to the source.

Our source is Jesus Christ. He is the living water that will quench our thirst when we are all dried up. Some believers fail to recognize that by virtue of their salvation in Jesus they hold in their hands the greatest source of power the world cannot have.

*STOP LOOKING AT YOURSELF AND START LOOKING AT GOD.

The onset of discouragement is oftentimes characterized by the presence of too many personal pronouns in our speech. We get into despondency because we rely on our own intelligence. Unfairness is part of life. That is something we have to accept.

1. Self pity will dilute the good you have been doing.

Downtimes in our lives are just circumstances where God wants us to realize our need for Him. He wants us to meditate and contemplate on who He is. God doesn't just reveal Himself in power but He also reveals Himself in the quietness of your heart. So instead of going into self pity God wants you to listen and wait in Him.

2. You have to operate in the anointing of God.

At the lowest points of our lives, God gives special anointing and this is to reveal to us His message.

*MEDITATE ON GOD'S GOODNESS

1. God's promises to care.

2. God's promises to be faithful.

3. God's promise to be with us in the mountain and in the valley.