Dismayed and Discouraged

Dismayed and Discouraged… “But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.” Job 4:4

Life can give you fits. It can squeeze you like a cold and insensitive mechanical vice. Before you realize it, you spiral down into a dungeon of dismay and discouragement. It is not a desirable or good place to live. It stinks actually. Yet, sometimes we find ourselves drowning in a cesspool of cynicism, unable to get out. The harder we try, the more difficult it gets. Problems loom larger than life, and there seems to be no hope for now. People let us down. People do dumb things. People seem to care less. Dismay and discouragement have pressed you into a careless corner. You are alone and afraid. It all seems unfair, because you have done your best to please God and others. You have served with a sincere and diligent heart. On the surface it seems like you have done all the right things, but you can’t get a break. Even the people you respect the most seem to be ignoring you. You have become high maintenance; therefore you are off limits to those who used to seek your counsel. When you need them the most, they are absent. Or, if they do come around, it is only to hurl insults and conclusions about what you need to do differently. This may be one of the hardest times of your life. You really don’t know which way to turn. It seems like you have exhausted all your options. However, you still have Christ, and He has you. Together you can triumph over trouble.

Trouble is temporary. Christ is eternal. He is your hope when life seems hopeless. He is your security when chaotic circumstances seem to be in control. He is your peace when fear locks its fangs into your faith. He is the truth when lies assault your thinking. Jesus understands your discouragement. Indeed, the Christian life is mostly lived between the valley and the mountain top. Now may be your valley experience, but there is a mountain top that lies ahead. The path is not always easy or pretty, but you can count on Christ as your companion. No hurt is too deep that the depths of His forgiveness cannot heal. No rejection is so severe that the allurement of His acceptance cannot comfort. No trouble is so crippling that the whirlpool of His trust cannot rehabilitate. Fear may have ambushed you, but His hope is there to rescue and release you from its prison of pride. It is during times of despair that we can unashamedly draw deep down into the well of His grace. His grace is sufficient. His grace is generous and good. Stay immersed in the grandeur of His grace. Trouble will drain your tank of grace, but trust refills it. Don’t try to run the engine of your life without a full tank of grace. Otherwise, you will sputter along and eventually break down and burn out. God’s grace generates hope and trust. Cling to Christ and dismiss discouragement. Be not dismayed, but be hopeful. Overcome trouble with trust in God. This trouble is temporary, so look to the eternal. Jesus is your friend that sticks closer than a brother.