The other day, we talked about discouragement and doubt in the life of the Christian. We looked at the lives of Elijah, John the baptist, and even Jesus as examples of men facing great tribulation! These examples in scripture give us a hint on what to do in times of doubt or discouragement.
1. Don't go it alone. Discouragement and doubt often come when we are alone. Find a place to belong. Serve somewhere in the church with other people, join a life group, phone a friend!
2. Be honest with God. All these examples show us the importance of being honest with God. "Cry out to God" is often used in scripture to describe what we should do when in trouble. Cry out doesn't sound like a nice quiet prayer with lots of religious words, it means to tell it like it is! Part of approaching God with reverence is approaching him with honesty.
3. Tell the truth! Several times in the Psalms, David tells it like he feels, and then tells himself the truth about God and his situation. Look at the promises of God, they will be kept! God is good and he works all things together for good. He can be trusted to come through on what he said he would do.
4. Check your expectations. We often get disappointed because we had an expectation that wasn't met. God will always keep his word, we just have to ask was it his promise or our expectation that wasn't kept?
In all these accounts of times of doubt or discouragement, God showed up and was compassionate. If your in a place of doubt, tell it like it is, go to God and he will meet you and minister to you in a way that you need. Don't mistake your discouragement for his distance, he is there. Talk to him about it! We can also be a great help to each other, so look for those who might be in a tough time, and offer to be there!
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