| A timely message |
[Aug. 9th, 2009|01:04 am] |
This was a timely message for me (:
I received a request for some encouragement today. God has an amazing
way of providing at the right time. This is a bit long but it is so
wonderful and true. Take the time to read the whole thing. You will
gain from it.
God Bless You! Keith
Some Encouraging Words
By Rick Warren
With all the bleak news coming out these days, we’re all vulnerable to
catching the highly contagious disease of discouragement. It’s easy to
catch and easy to pass on. But the good news is that discouragement is
also easily curable if we follow God’s prescription.
The Bible tells the story of Nehemiah, a Jewish leader who was assigned
the enormous task of rebuilding the broken-down city wall around
Jerusalem. After years of war, neglect, and decay, there wasn’t much wall
left. At first, mobilizing the citizens for this urban renewal project was
easy. Everyone was excited and worked hard. But soon the job bogged down,
and everyone wanted to give up. Nehemiah was faced with the likely failure
of an unfinished project.
Fortunately, Nehemiah was a brilliant leader who understood the four
common causes of discouragement, and the appropriate cures. The book of
Nehemiah, chapter 4, is a timely passage for us today.
Fatigue
The most common cause of discouragement is fatigue. Halfway through the
project we learn, “Then the people of Judah began to complain, ‘The
workers are getting tired’” (Nehemiah 4:10 NLT). The people became
demoralized because they were overworked and exhausted. It wasn’t a
spiritual problem; they were just worn out.
When people tell me they are discouraged, the first thing I ask them is,
“How much sleep are you getting every night?” Sometimes the most spiritual
thing you can do is just go to bed and sleep. The first antidote to
discouragement is to rest your body! It is amazing how much better your
situation looks after a good night’s sleep.
Frustration
In Nehemiah’s wall-rebuilding project, the second reason the people got
disheartened was frustration. The people said, “There is so much rubble to
be moved!” (Nehemiah 4:10 NLT). What is rubble? Rubble is all the debris—
broken rocks, dried-out mortar, and miscellaneous trash—that inevitably
accumulates in any construction project. As they worked, the rubbish piled
up higher, so much that it hindered, then stopped the actual work on the
wall, and the people lost sight of their goal. You can’t eliminate rubble
in life, but you can recognize it and remove it periodically, just like
carpenters sweep the floor each night even though the project isn’t
completed.
What is the rubbish or “rubble” in your life? It’s the trivial things that
pile up that waste your time, consume your energy, and distract your focus
from what matters most. Rubble can be bad habits, time-wasters,
interruptions, and even some distracting relationships.
If frustration is causing you to feel like giving up, the antidote is to
pause, take a time out, and remove the rubble! Do a personal spring-
cleaning of your schedule, your expenses, and your commitments. Eliminate
the clutter. Keep what matters most. Simplify your life! A recession is
the best time to do that. Besides, no one can do everything and please
everyone.
Failure
The third reason we sometimes feel like giving up is when we’re
overwhelmed by all we have to do, and think that we’re bound to fail at
it. The third complaint of Nehemiah’s work crew was that they simply could
not get it done! “We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”
It is impossible. The job is too big. The sense of failure filled their
minds.
Because the task was taking longer than imagined at first, their
confidence faded: We were foolish to even try, they thought.
I hear this cause of discouragement in the voices of people who’ve lost t
their jobs, are upside down on their mortgage, or feel hopeless about ever
getting out of debt.
Everybody fails. How you handle your failures in life reveals your
character, and how much you trust God. Do you have a pity party? Do you
blame others? Do you put yourself down? None of those responses will end
your demoralization. Instead of giving up on your goal, what you need to
do is to approach it in a new, fresh, different way. You may be doing the
right thing—but in the wrong way! Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, “There is a right
time and a right way to do everything, but we know so little” (GNT).
Instead of giving in, Nehemiah simply reorganized the project, creating
teams to work together. Half of the team would work on the wall while the
other half stood guard against terrorists who didn’t want the wall built:
“So I posted people behind the lowest places along the wall—the open
places—and I put families together with their swords, spears, and bows”
(Nehemiah 4:13 NCV).
This is the third antidote to discouragement: Reorganize your life. If you
feel like you are failing in marriage, business, health, finances, or
anything else, it is time to try a new approach with God. Don’t give up!
Get some godly advice for a different strategy from someone at church.
By the way, notice that when the people got discouraged, Nehemiah formed
them into small groups for support, protection, and accountability. If
you’re not in a small group, I’m not surprised if you’re discouraged. God
never intended for you to face your problems by yourself. Ecclesiastes
4:9-10 says “Two people are better than one because …if one falls down,
the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and
falls, because no one is there to help” (NCV).
Fear
The fourth common reason for giving up is fear. If you allow worry,
anxiety, and fear to live in your heart, discouragement will be
guaranteed. In Nehemiah’s case, the people were afraid of neighbouring
enemies who were committed to preventing the rebuilding of the wall around
Jerusalem. First, these enemies criticized the wall builders, then they
ridiculed them, and finally they threatened them with harm and death. The
builders were told repeatedly, “While you are working, before you realize
it, we will swoop down on you and kill you and end your work!” That would
probably discourage you from working too!
It is interesting that the builders who lived closest to the enemy were
the ones who got discouraged first and wanted to give up. If you spend a
lot of time hanging out with naysayers, you will pick up their fears.
Nehemiah’s response to the fears of his workers was this: “Then as I
looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of
people and said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord,
who is great and glorious’?” (Nehemiah 4:14 NLT). This is a fourth
antidote when you feel like giving up: Remember the Lord!
What does it mean to remember the Lord? It means to re-focus on God and
reconnect to his power for your life. To do this, you need to remember
three things about God. First, remember God’s goodness to you in the past.
Think about all the times he has taken care of you. That will lift your
spirit.
Second, remember God’s closeness to you right now. Whether you feel his
presence or not, he is here and near. Third, remember God’s promise to
help you in the future. Get your mind off your problems and onto the Lord.
The Dutch author Corrie ten Boom once said, “If you look at the world,
you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you
look at Christ, you’ll be at rest!” It all depends on what you are looking
at.
God’s antidotes to discouragement caused by fatigue, frustration, failure,
and fear will work for you just as they did for Nehemiah thousands of
years ago: Rest your body! Remove the rubble! Reorganize your life!
Remember the Lord! And there’s one final principle in this story.
Resist
The final advice Nehemiah gave was for the Israelites to fight it! “Fight
for your friends, fight for your families, and fight for your homes!” You
need to do the same. Resist the discouragement! Don’t give in or give up
without a fight! Every day, you face a spiritual battle whether you
realize it or not. Unseen forces of evil, negativity, and discouragement
are opposing you daily, seeking to neutralize your impact for good. The
Bible tells us that Satan’s job is to “accuse believers” and one of his
great tools is discouragement.
But you do not have to listen to him. Discouragement is a choice, and no
one is forcing you to give in to it. So resist it! Refuse to quit! Hang on
and trust God in the middle of this recession, or anything else that is
discouraging you.
In closing, let me leave you with these words: It is always too soon to
quit. Great people are just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount
of persistence. Hang in there! I’m praying for everyone who reads this.
So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give
up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time
(Galatians 6:9).
With thanks to Yvette
For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat. R. Eastman
Salvation: Nothing to Earn, Much to Learn. Adrian Rogers
Do your best; bring out the best in others.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!
Put God first, be happy at last!
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truly, i never knew what God has install for me but i know my mission and my motto. What is more important than to acknowledge His magnificence and that nothing is impossible for Him. to be living for Christ has never been easy. God didn't promise us one. but He definitely promised us that we'll not be going it through alone. indeed "no one says living a Christian live is easy. it is impossible. it's only when God is the sustainer then may we be able to reach the standards that God has for us". To be living wholly holy for the audience of One. not to be people pleaser but to please God alone. I might be crazy to some but i know my sanity is in Christ alone and praise God for that. How amazing is His love for me, IT'S BEEN SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO BE CALLED A CHILD OF GOD! to enjoy this exceptionally special relationship with Him. to know that even if i fall. He'll be the first One to pick me up. It may take ages for me to realise my transgressions but a moment to be forgiven and restored. i'm home(: |
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