Dealing With Discouragement

Pastoral discouragement takes on many forms: personal struggles, family challenges, and painful ministry disappointments, to name a few. There are those tough days when it seems we just can’t break through. Here are a few ways to press on when those painful days arrive:

1) Remember To Pray

It seems obvious, but I know from experience how easy it is to neglect prayer when discouraged. We must remember the Enemy is relentless in his efforts to keep us from praying to God. We experience a measure of victory over him every time we stand firm in the faith and, through prayer, cast our anxieties upon the Lord (1 Peter 5:7-9).

2) Know God Sees You

Naming the Lord “El Roi” (The God Who Sees Me), the Egyptian servant Hagar reminds us we serve a caring God who is with us in our discouragement (Genesis 16:13). When Elijah fell into despair and sought refuge in the solitude of a cave, twice the all-seeing God asked him, “What are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19:9, 13). Don’t miss that! “What are you doing HERE?” The God who sees us in our discouragement is also with us in our discouragement and will lovingly lead us through it.

3) Listen To Uplifting Music

The psalmist reminds us of the effect of music upon a discouraged heart (e.g., Psalms 27, 31, 34, 52, 55, 120, 147). When God’s Word shapes musical lyrics, the music is all the more powerful and life-giving. I recall a particularly discouraging day when I experienced a painful disappointment. Finding some uplifting praise music to listen to, I went out to the garage for a brief workout. I will never forget how the message in the music uniquely changed my mood that afternoon, lifting me out of the heavy darkness and leading me to raise my hands in joyful praise to God.

4) Remember, Ministry Is Happening

Because discouragement often feels so oppressive, we may underestimate the good things God is doing in our ministry. Every time we preach, for example, we feed our hearers the very Word of God, and He is using His Word to accomplish His unfailing purposes (see Isaiah 55:11).

5) Know Discouragement Improves Your Preaching

Discouragement helps us identify with our members. Our sermons feel more “earthy” to our hearers as they listen to our messages. To be clear, I’m not suggesting we share all our battles in the pulpit. Instead, because of our experiences, our sermons reflect a greater awareness of the kinds of discouragements familiar to our members. Consequently, our messages find greater connectivity with them.

6) Share The Gospel

Yes, we should always share the gospel, but when we’re discouraged, we tend to focus inward rather than outward. I have discovered nothing raises me from the doldrums of discouragement like sharing Jesus with someone. We are energized afresh and anew, having feasted upon the spiritual food of joyful ministry (cf. John 4:32), remembering the wonder of God’s call upon our lives.