The "Discouragement Pit"

“Wow! The view from up here is amazing!”  I find myself  in that kind of mood when I’m on that spiritual mountain. Being so close to God. Then a storm shakes that mountain and I fall. Hard.
Nothing like a little shake to test your foundation, trust, and willingness to walk towards the Lord even when you can’t see Him.
A lot of times when I’m falling, from this shake, I become discouraged. Discouragement is completely from Satan. I get to feeling like I don’t have the fire that I started out with, I’m wondering where that mountain went. I start feeling like I’m not able to serve God or God doesn’t have a plan for me. I get discouraged. It’s from Satan. It’s simple. James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

I don’t know why it’s so hard to not get discouraged when God gives us so many promises that He’ll be faithful. He tells us so many times to trust Him. He has {NEVER} let me down. His will is always better than my own. Romans 8:14-16 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”
Many of us fall into the “discouragement pit”. It’s deep and easy to fall into. Especially when I look around and see other Christian girls I know that are telling me about everything God is using them to do, everything they’re learning. I want that! Why can’t I have it? Why can’t I have the fire that they seem to ALWAYS have??? After I get done crying about it, I start to look at myself. No, not in a mirror, I start looking inside. Deep inside. Usually what’s holding me back from getting closer to God is from within. It’s not God holding me back or hiding from me. God will never hide Himself from someone who is seeking Him. No, it’s in {my heart}. I have to look into my heart and ask what’s holding me back from God. What is it I’m holding onto that I don’t want to give up for Him? (Something I struggle with a lot is my pride, but I’m not getting into that in this post.)
His timing is a funny thing, you know? It’s usually a whole lot different from my timing. His will is perfect. He has a plan for each of our lives.
John 16:33  “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
I look at those girls around me and have to remember, no two journeys are a like. That girl who is in God’s will and serving Him is right where God Has {HER}. As long as I’m seeking God’s will for my life, I’m right where God wants me.
Just like Jesus’ disciple Peter when he asked Jesus to let him come to Him on the water, he walked a little ways to Him, and as he was walking towards Jesus, he took his eyes off of Him and started to sink. But, he cried out and asked Jesus to save him, and immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him. Matthew 14:27-31  “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
 That sounds like just like me. I try to walk towards my Jesus, I take my eyes off of Him, I start to sink, and I have cry out for my Jesus to rescue me. The thing is, we’re going to fail, but it’s not the failing that we focus on, it’s the walking. We have to try. We have to walk. We’re going to fall and we’re going to sink, but we have to get back up and take that next step. Even though we feel discouraged, we have to keep reading His word and praying.
That’s a big one for me, when I’m discouraged I’m not reading my bible and talking to my Jesus as much.
This “discouragement pit” is deep and easy to fall into, but with Jesus, you can get out of it. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, because most of the time it’s hard. But with Christ everything is possible.
John 15:11  “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

~Beautifully Created 4 Christ~