Dealing With a Discouraged Heart
2010 was a difficult year for me. There’s not a single event that I can point to that made it so, rather a confluence of many unrelated events that made me feel that no matter what sort of effort I may put forth, it was not going to be good enough to succeed at whatever it was I was trying to accomplish. I won’t bore you with needless details, I’ll simply say that there were several different things that almost happened but that didn’t quite turn out the way I had planned. Some of these things required a lot of hard work only to see them explode at the last critical juncture and some of them were just doomed from the start. There were times when it seemed as if nothing I did was going to work.
This line of thought was, of course, completely ridiculous. There were plenty of positive moments that 2010 held and plenty of things that went according to plan. Human nature being what it is, however, it’s much easier to accentuate the negative than the positive.
Have you ever felt as though no matter how hard you strived, you just could do no right? Have you ever been so mired in a rut so deep that it seems as if God himself has completely forgotten about you? Believe me, I know the feeling.
Discouragement is a funny thing. Typically it’s caused when we do thing “A” to accomplish thing “B”. The problem is that often, despite our best efforts, “B” doesn’t materialize and we get angry, frustrated, and upset. Often, we come to a place where we’re stuck in a rut that’s further deepened by the fact that we feel sorry for ourselves and wallow in self-pity. It’s times like these when we need to remember that our hearts must be directed, not simply yielded to.
In Jeremiah 17:9, the prophet Jeremiah describes the heart as “deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” Left unchecked, the heart of man is a wicked and unruly thing that is controlled only by passions and desires. It does not care who it harms or what is destroyed, as long as it can lay hold of whatever the moment’s desire demands. This is why Proverbs 4:23 states, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Discouragement and frustration are a part of life. How one deals with discouragement and defeat are what defines the character of the individual. When you’re tempted to feel sorry for yourself or allow your heart to feel as though God has abandoned you, it’s time to get bossy with it. Remember that it is you who must lead your heart, not your heart who leads you. The phrase “follow your heart” might sound nice, but it is utterly backwards. It is our will that must lead and our heart that must follow.
How exactly does someone lead their heart ? In Luke 12:34, Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” While Jesus was speaking of the material possession of a rich man in this particular passage of scripture, there is a key bit of spiritual insight that is applicable to all areas of life. That principle is that your heart will dwell with the things you delight in and cherish the most.
Therein lies the secret to leading (or bossing) your heart. Take pleasure in the things of God, not of this world. Discouragement and frustration are parts of life, but they are not to be dwelled upon. Lessons should be learned of them and they should be firmly placed in the rear-view mirror, not latched onto and harbored. Instead of dwelling on past failure and discouragement, meditate on and delight yourself in God’s word and His holy nature. Look forward to being a part of the things that God has in store for you.
Proverbs 3:5-6 states,” Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Daily lead your heart to trust in the Lord and place your treasure in the ways and nature of God rather than the temporal things of this world, and you’ll find that discouragement will yield to comfort and sorrow will fade to joy.
J3:30,
K
Remember to boss your heart!
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