We all experience times of discouragement. Whether it’s in our relationships, our studies, our jobs, following God’s call, or just life in general, there’ll be times when we don’t seem to be getting anywhere, or we feel overwhelmed by the problems and challenges that lie ahead. So for the next few days, let’s take a look at how we can break through discouragement. First, look for a better way of doing things. While rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, the people of Judah were laughed at by their enemies, who said that they weren’t capable of completing the task, and then threatened to attack and kill them. The Jews understandably became fearful and discouraged. But Nehemiah ‘stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows’ (v.13 NIV). Nehemiah realised that in order to experience breakthrough in their situation, they’d have to start doing things differently. So he organised the people in a different way, to provide the best protection while the wall was being built. When we get discouraged, we mustn’t give up on our goals. Instead, we should take a step back and ask God to help us find a new approach. That might mean we have to do things with a new attitude, try a new strategy, or find a new way of working. We can also ask God to help us see our situation from His perspective. Sometimes, simply looking at things from a different angle can help us to see a way through our problems and give us the encouragement and confidence to carry on.

What Now?

Is there a situation you’re going through that’s discouraging you? Have a think about how you’re handling it. Is there a strategy that you keep using, or do you keep approaching it with the same attitude? Take a few moments to bring it to God, then try to look at it from His perspective. Can you see any new ways of dealing with it?