To deal with discouragement, we need to do two things.

1) Speak the right words. One of the main causes of discouragement is negative self-talk. In his book Spiritual Depression, Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of Britain’s best heart surgeons, wrote, ‘Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself.’ By that he means we allow negative messages from our past to affect our thinking instead of actively telling ourselves good things that will help us think more kindly of ourselves (see Philippians 4:8). Jesus said: 'I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain [or problem], "Go, fall into the sea". And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, God will do it for you’ (Mark 11:23 NCV). Words are powerful. They can reinforce our fears. Or they can strengthen our faith.

2) Hold on to the right expectations. Clergyman J. Wallace Hamilton once observed, ‘Every person’s life is a diary in which he or she means to write one story and is forced to write yet another.’ Life often turns out differently from what we planned. But the good news is that the story we end up writing can actually be better than the one we imagined – but we need to have the right expectations. That means listening to God, asking what His plans are, and trusting that He’ll get all the pieces in place to make His plan work. So what has God promised you? What are you expecting from Him? Believe and focus on what He says to you, and discouragement won’t be able to take hold for long.

What Now?

Write a list of what you’re expecting God to do in your life. Then one of what God has actually promised you. Do the two lists honestly line up, or do you have a few extra expectations that are taking your focus off His promises?