Why Let Discouragement Rule You?

I'm sure we all experience spells of discouragement from time to time. This usually happens because of false expectations in events and other people. But it isn't healthy to stay in a slump.

As Psalms 42:5 (BBE) reminds us, "Why are you crushed down, O my soul? and why are you troubled in me? put your hope in God; for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God."

Our spiritual leaders especially need encouragement as they bear the responsibility of Christ's flock. Moses knew this burden all too well. When he handed the reins of power to Joshua, he told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 1:38 (BBE) that, "Joshua, the son of Nun, your servant, he will go into the land: say to him that he is to be strong, for he will be Israel's guide into their heritage."

God also encouraged the exiles in Babylon that he hadn't forsaken them. Jeremiah 29:11 and 12 (BBE) reads, "For I am conscious of my thoughts about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end. And you will go on crying to me and making prayer to me, and I will give ear to you."

Furthermore, doubt is a sin in that it makes people believe that God won't help them. Peter learned this lesson when he walked on the water. But he became concerned about the raging waves and he began to sink. Matthew 14:31 (BBE) tells what happened next. "And straight away Jesus put out his hand and took a grip of him, and said to him, 'O man of little faith, why were you in doubt?'"

Trusting in Christ is mandatory if we're to follow him. When the disciples gathered for the last Passover, our lord reminded them of this. John 16:33 (BBE) reads, "I have said all these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble: but take heart! I have overcome the world."

Though there are chemical imbalances and medical conditions which can make a person chronically depressed, we often get the blues when we forget whom we belong to. It's why Bible reading is a crucial practice.

On Saturday, if Christ doesn't return first, I hope to post about a great song by Ian Thomas.

The Lack of Faith Error

In past posts, I've explained how charismatic Christians have hurt me by assuming I didn't have enough faith to be healed. In fact, many disabled folks have been slandered by hard-hearted churchgoers who had zero understanding of God's sovereignty.

One verse thrown at me many times was Matthew 17:20 (KJV) which reads, "And Jesus said unto them, 'Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, "Remove hence to yonder place;" and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.'"

What those teachers, and many of them today, don't understand is that Christ was using hyperbole. He wasn't saying they could literally cause a mountain to be moved. Christ meant that they should trust in him implicitly.

Jesus rebuked his disciples many times for not trusting in him. For example, he fell asleep in the stern of the boat when a storm came up. Matthew 8:26 (KJV) quotes his chiding. "And he saith unto them,  'Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?' Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm."


Another time, Peter was actually walking on the water with Jesus. Then he got worried about the violent waves and winds. In Matthew 14:31 (KJV), we see what Christ did next. "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?'"

Charismatic Christians make the mistake of believing that faith is some sort of magical power. Without understanding the purposes of God in doing miracles through his Son and his immediate disciples, they assume they can also do marvellous works. That's like an uneducated person putting on glasses and wondering why he or she can't read books.

I hope to write much more about this subject in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? The whole purpose of what we go through in this life is to build trust in the Lord, not to wield God's power. Sadly, Jesus himself said at the end of the Sermon on the Mount that many will say they did all sorts of miracles in his name. But the Lord will say, "I never knew you."

I'll be writing in my next post about how some charismatic believers exaggerate Satan's abilities.