I am certain that every single human on the planet has been discouraged at any point in their life. I’ll be the first to say that I’m not great at it. I was discouraged over a lot of things and have been through the same. Those words of discouragement lasted for a couple of weeks and years as well.
One of my best friends also asked me to write on it, since she has been falling prey to others’ mean and Narcissistic discouraging comments.
This is why I’m compelled to write about it today. Here’s what I’ve discovered. Discouragement, it turns out, isn’t as innocent as I once believed.
Discouragement is described as a lack of hope or trust. For others, this emotion is a source of spirituality, and for some, it is a source of sin. And, most of us, including me, are unaware of how dangerous discouragement can be.
1. It leads to Disbelief
When discouragement takes up a place in our souls, we become momentarily oblivious to many of God’s realities. We forget about his goodness, generosity, sovereignty, and compassion. We tend to challenge the same things that we might have comfortably talked about the day before.
2. You end up weak
There is much in our lives that want to steer us in the wrong direction: the world with its temptations, the devil with his sneaky schemes, and the human heart with its fickle love and desires. We need to be on our guard, but if we fall prey to the influence of discouragement we will end up very distracted, weak, and dull.
3. People become Selfish
When we’re discouraged, it’s as though we’ve put on blinders and can just see our current situation. We lose our value to those around us. We’re trapped in our own little world of hopelessness and melancholy, and we develop a “poor-me” mentality as a result.
4. Makes you Angry
Many of us have seen children attempting to construct something as their blocks repeatedly tip down, causing them to become frustrated and sometimes violent. This isn’t something that just happens to kids. Adults, too, have a proclivity for being enraged after a time of discouragement.
Maybe we’ve made up our minds for the hundredth time to keep the house under pressure, but it’s not working out this time. We get disappointed and angry with ourselves as a result of our behavior. Others have been trying to conceive for a long time. Years pass and they are left empty-handed; discouragement will turn to anger against God at this stage.
5. You Give Up
Discouragement drains a person’s vitality. It makes you want to lounge around rather than work hard. Discouragement asks, “Why bother?” and, based on our level of discouragement, we listen and give up, if only for a short time. As J.R. Miller puts it:
“Discouragement makes the hard path—much harder, and the heavy load—much heavier.”
How many of us have quit exercising, given up on memorizing scripture, stopped disciplining the students, or slowed in our attempts to strengthen our marriage due to discouragement?
There are many teachers who are on the verge of leaving their jobs. There are also wives, who do not get the encouragement for all the hard work they put in. Therefore they do not want to put any more effort into their relationship.
6. You become a Discourager
A disappointed person can become a discourager by making derogatory and cynical comments to others. They leave those around them discouraged instead of saying words of joy, warmth, and inspiration.
We can’t continue to let hopelessness rule our lives. It has the potential to do much too much damage.
7. You become careless
Disappointed people are more likely to use their words carelessly. Since our hearts are consumed by our situations, it would be much easier to lash out at others, whine, or even use inappropriate language. Discouragement erodes our willpower.
As discouragement creeps into our minds, we must act fast to combat it. THE Son, to leave the valley of death and ascend to where the sun shines.
