The “D” Word

It was announced that the devil was going out of business and would offer all tools for sale to whoever would pay his price. On the night of the sale they were all attractively displayed,—and a bad-looking lot they were: Malice, Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Sensuality, Deceit and all the other implements of evil were spread out each marked with its price. Apart from the rest lay a harmless looking wedge-shaped tool, much worn and priced higher than any of the others. Someone asked the devil what it was.
“That’s Discouragement,” was the reply.
“Why do you have it priced so high?”
“Because,” replied Satan, “it is more useful to me than any of the others. I can pry open and get inside a man’s consciousness with that when I could not get near him with any of the other tools. When once inside I can use him in whatever way suits me best. It is so much worn because I use it with nearly everybody, as very few people yet know it belongs to me.”
I believe there is an adversary. He has been called the Deceiver, the Liar, Lucifer, the Devil, Satan, the Destroyer, and countless other names.  We get a small picture of him in the story of Job. Satan says to God, “he only loves you because of the stuff he has, his great family, and his health is good.” God says back, “do anything you want to him but you cannot lay a finger on him.” Job ends up losing his family, his wealth, and his health. His has three friends who try to convince him that the stuff he was going on his life was because he had sinned against God somehow.  His wife even said to him – “curse God and die.” In other words, “Just give up on God and die.” That’s the best way out.”

The Enemy hopes Job curses God and dies. Later on in the story, you can read about God talking to Job. God’s appears very unkind.Despite all the things Job has been through (the losing of his kids, job, and health) He says to Job, “who in the heck are you? Did you make the water stop where it is supposed to. Did you give the giraffe his long neck?” The Enemy couldn’t destroy Job but he could discourage Job. Discouragement is the #1 destroyer of faith. In fact, in discouragement, God seems to be nowhere around.

Job lost everything but look at what he says in Job 1:20-21,

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”

Pain, suffering, tragedy, uncertainty, and whatever else life throws at you always leads to discouragement.  I watched a video about this young lady about 29 who lives in Oregon who has this inoperable brain tumor. (The video is about 8 minutes long but you can watch the first 3 minutes to get the gist of the story)

What would say to her?
This video is creating a lot of discussion about the right to end your own life when facing disease that is only going to destroy you and there is no cure for. She obviously has the right to do what she wants. She will be the one suffering the debilitating headaches. She is the one who has to walk around with a tumor that is destroying her brain. This is one of those stories that makes no sense.This is one of those stories where I stop and ask God, “why don’t you heal her?” “where are you at in the midst of all this?”

I can’t help but wonder how much discouragement has to play in the role of making such a decision. I am just praying the God heals her and gives her a hope and a future. If not, I am praying God will use her story in some redeeming way. It will definitely create discussion about God.

Discouragement can destroy our dreams. Discouragement can destroy our faith. Discouragement can cause people to take a direction in life that only leads to hopelessness. Hopelessness seems to always end in death. Discouragement can distract us from carrying out God’s desire to give us a hope and a future.
What would have happened if any Jesus would have given into discouragement? On many occasions he had the opportunity to escape his fate and even renounce his message. But he didn’t give into the temptation.
What would have happened if Helen Keller would have given into discouragement. She could not see or hear but yet she was the first person who was deaf and blind to earn a bachelors degree. And what about Ann Sullivan – the one who taught her how to read?

What would have happened if Moses would have given into discouragement? It would have affected the history of the Jewish people who would have affected us gentiles.

What would have happened if Thomas Jefferson had given into discouragement? We might still be under the rule England.

What would have happened if William Tyndale had given into discouragement? He translated the Bible into English, which at the time was forbidden. He believed everyone should be able to read the Bible in their native tongue, he was later arrested and executed. He literally gave his life so that you and I could have a Bible in our hand.

What would have happened if followers of Christ in the book of Acts gave into discouragement and didn’t go through all the ridicule, persecution, and opposition? I am pretty sure none of us would be sitting here.

Joseph – the guy we have been talking about the last few Sundays. Hated by his brothers. Raised in a dysfunctional home. Framed for rape. Thrown into prison and forgotten about until the Pharaoh needed his special ability that God had given him. We wouldn’t be reading his story today if he hadn’t faced those all those discouraging moments in his life.

Most of us, if not all of us, have experienced discouragement. The kind of discouragement that makes you wonder where God’s at. The kind of discouragement that makes you wonder if there is any light at the end of the tunnel. The kind of discouragement that if left unattended could destroy your faith.

Discouragement doesn’t come from God but God uses discouragement.  He doesn’t stop us from being discouraged – discouragement is a part of life. Everybody faces discouragement. Some more than others. Some longer than others.

If you honestly look at it discouragement, it is a good thing. It’s no fun to go through but it is a good thing.

1. Discouragement forces us to seek God.
Think about this for a moment. In the times where we have faced the most pain, or suffered greatly, or tragedy has come into your life  who do most people cry out to whether they have a relationship with God or not? God. We spend a lot of time talking to God asking, “Why?”  “Where are you at?”  A pastor shared a story of when a mom came into his office crying about her son running away from God. She said, I have prayed and I have prayed and I have prayed but God doesn’t seem to be doing anything. I have been seeking God. I have been asking for peace for God. The pastor simple response was, “sounds like God has your attention.”

2. Discouragement forces us to examine our life.
It is in time of discouragement that we ask the most meaningful questions in life. Questions that we need to ask our self every so often to help us keep our life in perspective. I am sure Joseph spent a lot of time examining his life. What else are you going to do in a prison cell? What else are you going to do in a cistern?

3. Discouragement forces us to make a decision.
This is true when the discouragement goes on for a really long time. Their comes a point in when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired. You get sick and tired of being discouraged and you need to do something. A man I had been mentoring for a while. Was sick and tired. His marriage was falling apart. His wife had kicked him out of house and told him to figure life out. I was with him in his most discouraging moments of his life. Like a good counselor I told him the problem with his life was not his wife and or his family. I said the problem is you. You are the one who has the problem. No matter if you get back with your wife or not it doesn’t make a difference unless you are willing to face your stuff, deal with these discouraging moments in life and grow up. He actually listened to me. He just recently Facebooked me and said he and his wife are back together and he is going into ministry. He made a decision that he was the one who needed to grow up and change. With the help of the Holy Spirit He figured it out. His discouragement with the way his life was headed forced him to make the decision to grow up and be a loving husband, a mature dad, and a godly man.

As Christ followers Paul reminds us that …
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT)
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

We might be pressed on every side by troubles – But God is not going to let you be crushed.
We might be perplexed – meaning life is confusing at times – but God is not going to let you get to the point of despair.
We might be hunted down – but God is not going to abandon us – he is with us. That’s all he promised he would do.
We might get knocked down, discouraged, but God is not going to allow us to be destroyed.

Discouragement is an opportunity to excercise our faith. We get to find out if the promises of this verse you just read are true. Without it we wouldn’t need to persevere at anything. It also  turns a good story into a great story which God uses to inspire others to seek after him, go the extra mile,  give generously, or inspire others to make a life decision.

As Christ followers we are expected to persevere. We are expected to use the discouraging things of life to seek the face of God, examine our life, and keep life in perspective. And when things get to tough or life is full of pain, this is the best time to exercise our faith and find out if his promises are true.