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.