Don't Be Discouraged!
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 15: 58
John Calvin left a mark on the world that has endured for
centuries, yet during his lifetime he battled discouragement.
He once said, “I'm entangled in so many troublesome affairs
that I am almost beside myself.”
On another occasion, he said, “Today hardly one in a hundred
considers how difficult and arduous it is to faithfully discharge
the office of pastor.” Again he said, “In addition to the immense
troubles by which I am so sorely consumed, there is almost no
day on which some new pain or anxiety does not come.”
John Stott called discouragement the
“occupational hazard of Christian ministry.”
Yet the Bible repeatedly tells us to eschew discouragement,
to treat it like a sin, to resist and refuse it. “Do not fear or be
discouraged,” says Deuteronomy 1:21. The Lord is never
discouraged, and in His service there is victory.
Our life, love, and labor in the Lord is never in vain.
Today take God’s promise in 1 Corinthians 15:58 and use
it like a broom to sweep discouragement out of your heart.
"God would never discourage me. He would
always point me to Himself to trust Him."
Charles Stanley
