Prescription for Discouragement

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--My Savior and my God! (Psalm 42:5 NLT)

Praise and gratitude are the best medicines for discouragement. Praising God reminds us of His greatness. Thanking God allows us to recall His goodness.

Next time you feel discouraged try this: Set a timer for 1 minute. Praise God for his character--for who He is. Reset the timer for another minute. Thank God for all He has done for you. I have found that this  2-minute, spiritual practice can prevent me from spiraling into despondency. This exercise does more for me than for God. Praise and gratitude encourage my faith.

Lord, I praise You--for You are wonderful, glorious, trustworthy, dependable, creative, caring, loving, merciful, comforting, strengthening, protective, always-there.

Lord, I thank You--for all that You have done for me and my loved ones--for all the answered prayers, for providing for us, for healing us, for taking care of us, for never abandoning us, for directing and guiding us, for protecting us from evil, and for every blessing.

Delight in the Lord

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” (Psalm 37:4 NLT)

When was the last time you found delight in something? Did you want to share your enjoyment with others? Or, do you prefer to be free of distractions during these experiences?  

When we take delight in the Lord, we enjoy His presence--find great satisfaction and pleasure in His company. We want to spend time with Him, to get to know Him, to understand Him better. When we are constantly aware of God’s unconditional, overwhelming love for us, we want nothing more.

When we find delight in the Lord, we are eager to express our love in every way possible. Our heart’s desires are aligned with His desires. Everything we do is because of our commitment to Him. Thus, we are confident that He will do His part to help us.

Focus on Christ

“So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do.” (Hebrews 3:1 MSG)

One of the techniques that photographers use when taking portraits is called ‘bokeh’--a Japanese term for when the primary subject is in sharp focus, while the background is blurry. In order to achieve this effect, photographers use large apertures that allow lots of light. This creates a narrow depth of field. The photographer gets really close to the subject and maintains a certain distance from everything else in the background.

I think the same technique can be used to focus on Christ. Open up your heart and mind so light can shine through abundantly. Create a narrow depth of field--where you have very few other distractions. Get close to Christ. Keep everything else at a distance. Keep your attention focused on Christ while allowing everything in the background to become blurry.

The Anchor of Hope

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Heb 6:19 NIV)

Anchors can prevent ships from drifting into turbulent waters or crashing against rocks. Once a protected spot with firm ground is found, the anchor can be dropped. An anchor that is always kept in the boat is useless.

Hope is like an anchor for our soul. Constantly placing our hopes in our own abilities and wisdom is similar to always keeping the anchor in the boat. Our thoughts easily drift into anxiety, and even well-laid plans can run aground. Once we sense that we are near the secure ground of God, we can confidently drop our anchor of hope. This way, we can be certain that our hope is placed on something sure and steadfast.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil.

("My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" by Edward Mote, 1797-1874)

Sacrificing Jesus for Religion

“Crucify Him.” (Luke 23:21 NLT)

The religious fundamentalists wanted to crucify Jesus, because they saw him as a threat to their way of doing things. Things haven’t changed much in two thousand years. We are still sacrificing Jesus in order to propagate and maintain the corporate religious establishments of our time.

“If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious. In other words, we must stop using religion as if it were some kind of a lofty lifestyle—we must be spiritually real.” (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

A religious lifestyle gives us an air of respectability and morality. It may even provide social and business opportunities. Spirituality is more intimate--thus, it is not conducive to public displays, corporate ceremonies, social hierarchies, or fundraising.  While religiosity connects us to other like-minded people, real spirituality allows us to commune with God. Even though we have sacrificed Jesus on the altars of religious establishments, He will continue to rise up in the dark recesses of our heart.

“You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!” (Mark 16:6 NIV)

God as Parent

“O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8 NLT)

I felt neglected as a child and browbeaten as a young adult. Even now, as a middle-aged woman, I am still dealing with the ramifications. I have tried to take care of my Inner Child, but my Inner Parent is critical and demanding. I scold myself for unproductivity and self-indulgence. I cover myself in guilt and shame. I have difficulty being gentle, nurturing, and accepting of myself.  Yes, I am a malformed, dysfunctional vessel.

God is the Real Parent, while earthly parents are merely foster parents. The Lord has always watched over me, even when I wasn’t aware of His presence. He was always close by, making up for the deficiencies of earthly parents. So, I ask God to repair me by re-parenting me. God is the potter and I am the clay. Even though I am deformed, He can reform me.

I too am an inadequate parent. So I ask God to take over and re-parent my child as well. I pray that my child will be reshaped and restored according to God’s intended purposes.

Yielding to Jesus

“Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God.” (Romans 6:13 NIV)

What controls and dominates me? I have a rigid sense of righteousness. I am defensive of my way of life and my philosophies. I crave stability, and thus, I’m protective of my environment. I am highly sensitive to anybody being manipulated. I allow my fears and anxieties to take over.  

I have yielded myself to these compulsions instead of yielding to God. I build my own defensive fortress in an attempt to protect myself and my loved ones. I try to take care of everything instead of allowing God to take over.

Lord, I realize that I am imprisoned, and I can’t free myself. I want to relinquish these enslaving habits to You. Please release me from these shackles. Jesus, help me to yield to You, and only You.