Hello Discouragement

Hello Discouragement,

I’d like to say it’s been a while, but you visit often. A little too often at that. Sometimes it’d be nice if you gave me a break, but you seem to have took a liking to me. It’s just today I’m kind of tired, so if you could come back another day, that’d be so lovely. 

Sincerely, 
Me

It’s often that when discouragement greets us, it starts a little like:”Didn’t God say??” And because there is a hint of truth hidden within the imposed question, our ears perk up, lean in, and want to give time to what Discouragement has to say. Yet the more we listen, the more our hearts wander into unintended paths of doubt and uncertainty, and instead of stopping right then and there, we travel to lands far far away from our promised land that once was believed in with unshakable faith.

I have a job as a lifeguard at an amusement park, and let me say, it’s pretty cool. But sometimes, after working 50 hours in a week, my thoughts start to wander. I start to think of what is on my to-do list, I think of what food I’ll eat that night, I think of blogs and songs and anything else creative, all while I’m scanning the water as a lifeguard on a slow day. (Which isn’t the best thing to do when someone else’s life is on the line.) And so I have come up with a strategy to make my mind be still by thinking “twalalala” to shut up my thoughts and truly be present. I know it sounds silly, but it honestly works. I don’t care about thinking “twalala,” so I don’t wander with it into deeper places. And I think we need to do the same with the enemy when he starts creating doubts.

One friend told me, “The enemy can only create doubts where there is certainty.” That truth has rocked my world. Because the thing about discouragement is that it does have hidden truth within it, yet we can only keep from wandering into far away lands by holding onto the hope and faith within that truth of our promised land. I think I hear almost on the daily, “Didn’t God say you were called to be a worship leader?” And sometimes, without thought, I answer, “Yes.” And then, he replies mischievously, “Then why are you not?” The truth is, I am called to be a worship leader. The twist is that it’s not for my season right now and the enemy wants to turn me against God for it. Guard your heart, guard your heart, oh guard your heart, Child of God. Because if you keep leaning on your own understanding, you will not be able to keep hold of the unshakable faith you once had.

How is it that within 10 seconds the enemy can take truth and twist it just enough to make it feel like God is against you? Well, sadly, he knows your vulnerabilities and will knock on its door to make a home there. Guarding your heart hears the knock, opens the door, hears his scheme over his words, and shuts the door right in his face.

Some of us need to start thinking, “twalala” more often so we can stop feeding the doubt welling up around our hearts. Someone else’s life may not be on the line, but your destiny is, and it is of great worth. Do not settle by letting doubt in, stand firm in the faith, and shut the door as soon as possible.

Here’s a truth the enemy probably won’t bring up- God doesn’t keep knowledge from us because He isn’t good, He keeps secrets to surprise us with His goodness. 

Deuteronomy 29:29 puts it this way: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us…” The secret things, the unknown details, the hidden designs, belong to God. I think we should be thanking God for keeping secrets. I think if we knew every act of goodness He would do in our lives, we would either one, royally fail at trying to make it happen ourselves and blame God, or two, run away because it is a list we could never ourselves live up to. Him keeping secrets allows His goodness to be on Him and keeps the pressure of making it happen off of us. And it’s not like you have nothing in your hands, what is revealed to you has a purpose. What is revealed can be the one thing your faith needs to hold onto to keep moving forward, it could be the very Word he is guiding you with like a shepherd’s rod, it could be, I don’t know, the preparation to sustain you in the next season of promise? So don’t entertain the enemy, don’t lean into his mischievous words,”put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11) Because God does have not good, not greater, but the BEST before you, and He delights in the details of your life enough to keep secrets from you to surprise you with. 💙

So Discouragement, thank you for coming by, because you’ve reminded me that I’m that much closer to my destiny. But you’re not welcome in my home anymore, so have a nice day, or don’t. 💚 

Sincerely, 

Me