Sometimes people are disheartened because of their circumstances. When you feel discouraged, you can become less determined, less hopeful and less confident in life. Don’t let your struggles discourage you from trying to be the best that God intended you to be.
Author Mike Norton said, “Never say that you can’t do something, or that something seems impossible, or that something can’t be done, no matter how discouraging or harrowing it may be; human beings are limited only by what we allow ourselves to be limited by: our own minds. We are each the masters of our own reality; when we become self-aware to this: absolutely anything in the world is possible.”
Teddy Roosevelt is widely regarded by historians as one of the greatest American presidents. He grew up both sickly and pampered but decided that he would not only overcome his debilitating asthma and become a cowboy but serve the American people through politics. His resilience and drive would inspire others to not be discouraged by their circumstances even during the Great Depression.
More than 500,000 people have died of the coronavirus in the U.S. and in the wake of this tragedy, we must not find our refuge in discouragement but rather be encouraged by the strength in our self determination to fight against that which tries to destroy us both mentally and physically.
There is a biblical story about a man named Job. It is recorded that Job was a wealthy man whose allegiance was to God. However, he suffered great losses. He lost all his possessions. His wealth, family and children were gone in a matter of nine months. If these losses were not enough, Job’s health deteriorated so much so that three of his close friends accused him of violations against God. Even his wife suggest that he turn away from God.
However, in all Job’s struggles, he was not discouraged. He maintained his allegiance to God and because of his faithfulness, all that he lost God restored to him four times as much including his health. There can be blessings because of our struggles. Remember, all struggles are not the same and how we deal with our struggles can lead us back to our faith that God will provide what we need when we need it the most. So Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
