Avoiding Discouragement

Ezekiel 2:6
“And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.”

One of the greatest things that you will fight in serving the LORD is discouragement. Discouragement is one of the main things I deal with as I try to help pastors and Christians. Discouragement sets in because they don’t see the results that they would like or that others are having. Sadly, we have become too result oriented in the ministry when we truly don’t have power over the results. The only thing that we have power to do is what God commands. We become so concerned over that with which we have no power that we hurt ourselves. The only thing that you have power to do is what God commanded.

In the early days of Ezekiel’s ministry, God warned him about three areas with which he must not be concerned. God warned Ezekiel about these areas because He knew that if he got focused on these things that he would eventually be discouraged. When you study the life of Jeremiah, he became concerned with the areas about which God warned Ezekiel, and he quit for awhile. It is imperative that a person listens to God’s counsel in these three areas if they want to avoid discouragement.

First, God warned Ezekiel not to be concerned with results. In the first few verses of Ezekiel 2, you will see that God told Ezekiel that the people would not listen to him. God was showing him that he cannot control the results. Many people become very discouraged in serving the LORD because they don’t see results. Soul winners give up soul winning because they are not seeing people saved. Pastors quit the ministry because their church is not growing like they think it should. Sunday school teachers give up because their class isn’t growing like another class. Friend, you can’t control the results. Results are up to God. If you are focused upon results, then you will find discouragement will come.

Second, God warned Ezekiel not to be concerned with whether the people received his sermons. Again, you can’t control whether someone receives what you say. When I go soul winning, I can’t make someone listen to me. In the early years of my ministry I fell for the trap of trying to force those who I thought were the rebellious crowd to respond. I so badly wanted them to receive the sermon and get right in the areas where they needed. I soon learned that I had no power in this area and that all I can do is preach what God gave me. If you worry about whether people are receiving what you are giving, then you will soon face discouragement.

Third, God warned Ezekiel not to be concerned with their reactions. If you do what God tells you to do, you will find that people will get upset with you. You cannot let their reactions to what you say and do concern you. They are not reacting to you, but to what the Holy Spirit is doing in their heart. We often take a person’s reaction as a personal attack against us. Be very careful that you don’t allow people’s reactions to determine whether or not you did a good job.

There is only one thing with which you should be concerned, and that is whether you did what God told you to do. You will avoid discouragement in your life if you will let your satisfaction come from obeying God’s commands. Discouragement is a result of focusing on the wrong results. If you focus on those things over which you have no power, you will be discouraged; however, if you focus on your obedience to God’s command, then you will find that you can avoid discouragement.


Afraid of the Battle

Jeremiah 42:14

“Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:”

Several years ago I was talking to a friend who had been around fundamentalism for over five decades. We discussed the current atmosphere in fundamentalism and how it seemingly was afraid to fight battles. I said to my friend that I perceived most men were holding their finger to the wind before they decided to take a stand. If they saw that the battle would be hot, they would not fight; whereas in years gone by men didn’t concern themselves with what everyone thought, they just took a stand and fought the battle that came with the stand. My friend who had been under three great leaders in the fundamental Baptist arena wholeheartedly agreed.

One of the men I highly admire from the past is J. Frank Norris. Anyone who has ever studied his life knows that he fought many fierce battles. His stand for the Word of God and It’s truths were very strong. When he went to Heaven, it was said by his contemporaries that they hoped the Baptist’s would finally get along since the source of contention was gone.

Another man who I highly admired and who was my pastor for many years was Dr. Jack Hyles. Bro. Hyles was a man who did not like to fight, he did not look to get into a fight, but he wouldn't run from a fight. Sadly, when he went to Heaven there were those who said the same thing about him as they said about J. Frank Norris. Neither of these men wanted to fight, but neither were afraid of the battle. They understood that someone had to stand for truth without worrying about the consequences.

God warned the remnant of Israel not to be afraid of the battle. There were some who wanted to compromise and go to Egypt because they didn’t want to fight for truth. Sadly, these people didn’t realize the importance of fighting. There were generations that followed who needed someone to preserve what God had given them.

Friend, I am not saying that we should always look to be in a fight, but I am saying that we should not run from one either. When it comes to truth, you shouldn't hold your finger to the wind to find out how heated the battle will be. God commands us in Jude 1:3 to “...earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” As a Christian, it is your responsibility to stay focused on truth. If your desire is for peace at any cost, then you will soon find out that there will be no one standing for truth. Oh for the day when we can get some Christians who have backbone and grit to stand for truth no matter the cost. No, the battle is never easy to endure, but someone must fight for truth.

The reason we must stand and fight for truth is because there is another generation who follows. They need to see that there are people who are dedicated enough to give up all for the sake of truth. They need to see that truth is important enough to be willing to lose all so that truth will go forward.

Let me ask you, are you one who avoids battles at all costs? Are you afraid of the battle? I am not saying that you should look to constantly be in a battle, but I am saying that you shouldn't be afraid to fight the battle if it comes. If you stand for truth, you will have to fight battles. I encourage you to focus more on truth than worrying about the consequences of standing. This is what preserves truth, and this is what will allow the next generation to know what old-fashioned Christianity is all about.

Besieged and Broken

Jeremiah 39:1-2

“In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.”

Retreating is always a sign that you’re losing a battle. During the Battle of Monmouth, George Washington came across troops from Major General Charles Lee as they retreated from battle. George Washington was appalled by the troops retreating and demanded from Lee why the retreat was ordered. He found the answer from Lee was unsatisfactory, so he ordered his troops to go forward against the retreating force, which eventually led to the British troops retreating in defeat. Though Washington saw troops that were besieged and broken, he still went forward and won a monumental battle in the American Revolution.

We find in the verses above that Judah was besieged and the city broken by Nebuchadrezzar’s army. The result of this besiegement led to many of the people fleeing. Yet, there were a group of poor people who would not leave their city, and would rather die than to be under bondage to this king. This action led God to allow them to stay in the city because they trusted Him.

Do you find times in your life when you feel like you are besieged and broken? It is always very tempting to sound the retreat, but you must not. Just like Washington knew that forward is the direction to go when fighting, you must not let the Devil’s attack cause you to sound a retreat in your Christian life.

When you are besieged and broken by health, let me encourage you to keep on going. Just like those who stayed in Judah trusted God, you must trust Him and not sound a retreat. Your health may seem to be breaking down, but let me encourage you to keep going and not sound a retreat.

When finances seem to have besieged and broken you, don’t give up. You may not know how you are going to pay your bills, but there is a God in Heaven Who is watching and seeing if you will trust Him.

When the world has besieged and broken you with their temptation, don’t quit! It can become weary at times trying to fight the world, and you may see others sounding the retreat, but you must keep going forward because you are on the winning side.

I don’t know what your situation is that you face today, but let me encourage you to keep on going. In times of besiegement and when the enemy is trying to break you, keep trusting God and He will bless you. Victory never comes through times of ease, but through besiegement and brokenness. While others retreat and give up, you must keep going forward and trust God’s Word that He will never fail you. Don’t let the retreat of others discourage you. Trust God and you will see the victory.

It's Not What You're Doing


Jeremiah 32:23

"And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:"

You will often hear a young person say, "I'm not doing anything wrong." With this statement they think they can get out of trouble. The problem lies in the matter that it was not that they did anything wrong, but that they didn't do what they were supposed to do.

This was one of the problems with Israel that sent them into captivity. In the verse above, God tells how He gave them their land to possess, a land that flowed with milk and honey. Yet, when they entered the land, they didn't do what they were supposed to do. It wasn't that they lived a life of rebellion at first, it was that they didn't obey the voice of the LORD. They simply omitted what they were supposed to do. They were supposed to conquer all the land, but they conquered some of the land. They were to be faithful to worship the LORD on a regular basis, but they stopped worshipping the LORD as they were commanded. God was showing that it was not what they were doing, but it was what they were not doing that caused His anger to be upon them.

Too many Christians go through life and think that they are not bad people because they are not doing any wrong; however, it is not that they are living a "wicked" life that is the problem, it is that they are not doing anything for God with their life. Sins of omission are just as bad as sins of commission. We must always remember that if one person has a right to stop doing their duties, then everyone has a right to stop doing what they are supposed to do. If one person has the right to stop doing their responsibility in the church, then the preacher has a right to stop preaching, the pianist can stop playing, the song leader can stop leading, the Sunday school teacher can stop teaching, the usher can stop ushering, the church secretary can stop typing and the greeter can stop greeting. We must understand that it is not always what we do that matters, but what we don't do.

Let me take this one other direction. In a marriage it is not always what you are doing that causes problems, but what you're not doing. You may not be running around on your spouse or looking at filthy pictures to cause the problems in your marriage. Most marriage problems are caused by one spouse who is not doing what they are supposed to do. It could be the husband not leading in the home like he should. It could be the wife not following like she should. It could be the husband not getting involved in parenting like he should. It could be the wife not meeting her husband's needs like she should. Most marriage problems are simply a spouse not doing something that they should be doing.

You must be careful that you don't fall for Satan's trap of omitting your obligations. It is not always what you are doing that causes your problems, but what you're not doing. No matter what area of life, you need to make sure that you are not only not doing what you shouldn't do, but that you do what you are supposed to do. Omission is just as bad as commission. If you don't do what you're not supposed to do, and do what you're supposed to do, then you will find that God will be pleased with your life. Right now, look at your life and see if there are some things that you are not doing that you should be doing, and decide not to let omission be a part of your life.

Living in Parched Places


Jeremiah 17:6

"For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited."

Too often we can be guilty of turning life into a desert when it could be a well of blessings. Jeremiah made the statement that the heath lived in the parched places because it didn't see the good around it. That is sad because the heath has a choice to enjoy the good, but because it doesn't see the good it lives in parched, dried up places.

I find that many people are just like the heath in that they never see the good in any situation, and turn their life into a parched dry desert. This is a horrible way to live. All around you there is good that you can enjoy, but if you are not careful, you will live your life in the parched places of the negative.

Let me ask you, is the negative all you see in your spouse? Many a person has driven their spouse away by constantly berating them and seeing the negative. I don't think anyone means it, but it happens on a regular basis. Many people have turned their marriage into parched places because all they see is negative. Do you ever see the good in your spouse? Let me take this a step further and ask you, have to told your spouse about the good you see? I believe often we see the good, but fail to compliment and only criticize. If you don't want your marriage to become a parched place of negative feelings and comments, then you need to purposely look for the good and be sure to compliment your spouse about the good they do.

Likewise, parents need to be careful not to turn their relationship with their children into parched places. There are times when I truly feel sorry for children as I watch their parents constantly criticize and pick at them. Parents, if you are not careful, you will drive your child completely away from you because they get tired of living in the parched places of the negative. You need to work at praising your children more than you criticize. Don't get me wrong, you need to correct them when they do wrong, but you also need to be sure to praise them when they do right. Many parents have lived a life of regret because they drove their children away with their negative comments. Every parent should strive to make their relationship with their children a garden of blessings and not a desert of parched places.

Furthermore, church members need to be careful that they don't turn their church into a parched place. Do you see all the negative of your church, or do you see the positive? Church is to be an enjoyable place, and you should be careful about always pointing out the negative. If all you do is dwell on the negative of your church, then every sermon you hear and ministry in which you are involved will become a parched place.

Simply put, go overboard on looking for the good and complimenting people about the good they do. It is natural to point out the negative, so you will have to purposely force yourself to compliment the good in every person and place that you see. Let me challenge you to give your spouse, children and friends five compliments today. Then make it a habit that everyday to compliment and thank them for the good they do. By doing this you will have a better chance of not turning life into parched places.

The Cure for Bad Habits

Jeremiah 13:23

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."

Jeremiah asked whether an Ethiopian could change his skin? This seems like a foolish question as anyone knows that you can't change the color of your own skin for that is how you were made. If the Ethiopian wanted to change the color of his skin, that would be physically impossible. He also asked whether the leopard could take his spots away. Again, a leopard in no way can remove its spots. Those spots are part of its makeup. Jeremiah asked these questions because he was trying to show Judah that they had bad habits that needed to change.

Changing your bad habits can be as difficult as changing the spots of a leopard. No matter who you are or what you do in life, you have habits that seem impossible to break. The one difference between changing the spots of a leopard and breaking your bad habits is that there is a way to overcome bad habits. The way to overcome bad habits will only come through Jesus Christ. There are three ways to cure bad habits.

First, there must be resistance to cure bad habits. Just like yielding to temptation will strengthen a bad habit, resisting the bad habit weakens it. God says in James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Though it may be difficult to resist your habit, it is still possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. When you yield to anger, then anger is strengthened, but resist anger by temperance and it is weakened. Lying is strengthened when you yield to it, but it is weakened when you resist it and tell the truth. Adultery and fornication are strengthened when you yield to them, but they are weakened when you resist them and practice abstinence. Whatever the sin is, it is only strengthened when you yield to it. It all comes down to a choice. You have a choice to yield and resist.

Second, you cure bad habits by educating yourself about the good habits. Romans 12:21 says, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." God says the way to overcome evil habits is to do good. Romans 16:19 says, "...I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil." Notice, God is teaching that the wiser you are about good, the less power that evil has in your life. If you want to cure bad habits, then you need to be sure to learn as much about the opposite of your habit. The more you learn about the opposite of your bad habit, the better you will be able to do the good.

Third, you cure bad habits through prayer. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Your only hope of overcoming bad habits is to daily pray and ask for God's strength to overcome them. Always remember that the power to overcome bad is found through Christ. 1 John 1:9 shows us that God is the One Who cleanses us from sin. You must ask God to help you overcome your bad habit.

Christian, you may think that your sin is like the spots on a leopard, but you have the power within you to overcome those spots of bad habits. That power within you is through giving your effort to overcome it, and then asking God to give you the added strength to do what you cannot do. In these three steps you will find that you can cure your bad habits.