“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 NLT

Merriam Webster defines discouragement as a loss of hope and confidence. Without a doubt one of the most defeating tools that the enemy uses is discouragement. I think we can assume that we have all at one time or another encountered discouragement. John Maxwell said, “Not everyone responds to discouragement in the same way. In regard to discouragement, there are two kinds of people in the world: splatters and bouncers. Splatters hit rock bottom, fall apart and stick to the bottom like glue. Bouncers hit rock bottom, pull themselves back together and bounce back up. The question is: Are you going to give up or get up? It’s a choice.”

 

Here are some thoughts that will help you to get up. First, get away from negative people and go find yourself some positive people who are going to lift you up. Secondly, get your focus off you and whatever your problems are and be intentional about getting your focus back on the Father who said, “Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you.” And thirdly, start speaking the Word of God over your life. Scriptures like, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31b,” and “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4b NASB,” and “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NASB.”