Do you get discouraged sometimes?

Of course you do! You’re in youth ministry. 

Man, it comes so suddenly but quickly doesn’t it? It not fun. If I am being honest with you, it has come a lot more recently and I don’t know why. I have been battling it. I don’t know if it’s because God is about to do something spectacular or if I am just self-loathing or what, but I know it doesn’t feel good at all and I wish it would go away.

I’m going to assume that I am not the only one that gets discouraged in youth ministry so what do we do? How can we walk through it? “Discouragement is a temptation “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13). And in dealing with it sometimes we need tenderness and other times we need toughness. But either way discouragement is not to be tolerated or wallowed in. It’s to be fought.”

How do we fight it? We should P.R.A.Y.:

Pray – Seems fit right? But discouragement doesn’t come from the Lord. Pray it away. Ask God to lift you up. 1 Peter 5:7 says we should be “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” What is making you anxious? 

Remember your calling – We do what we do because we love Jesus and we love to show students Him. We love when the light bulb goes on for a student. The first time we got to experience it is the reason why we kept on going with it. You have been called to lead students, care for them and point them to the One who can transform their lives. Don’t forget it.

Accelerate through it – Fight back! Discouragement is a choice. If you feel discouraged, it’s because you’ve chosen to feel that way. No one is forcing you to feel bad. Hang on! Do what’s right in spite of your feelings. No feeling lasts forever.

You’re not alone – So don’t be alone.It happens. Just know you are not the only one and make sure you have people you can turn to for encouragement in times of discouragement. I have people who I can call and just spill my guts too. At the same time, we need to be the ones who can encourage others and let them know they are not alone as well. In fact, you should shoot a text to someone right now to encourage them today. Go ahead.

Thinking about this (and I have been thinking about this a lot lately), these are the things I turn back to in times of discouragement. I hope they are as helpful for you as helpful as it has been for me.

Psalm 42:11
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

 

@justinknowles3