Have you ever been discouraged or angry in a way that caused you to sit in that discouragement or anger, not even wanting to feel better or be encouraged?
I have felt the way before, and I believe It's okay to feel this way. However, I don't believe it's okay to continue in those feelings persistently. But how do we go about changing that mindset if that is simply how we continue to feel? Is it even possible to change our feelings in order to climb out of a pit of discouragement?
Here are a few practical steps to help:
- Lament and tell God how you feel
- Submit your feelings to the Lord
- Read the Bible and rely on truth rather than feelings
- Pray for the Father's will to be done, not your own.
The struggle of deep, overwhelming discouragement is one that I think most people have had at one time or another. There are many reasons why people can feel stuck, not knowing how to be encouraged. One that often comes up as the cause is a lack of forgiveness.
Sitting under the weight of an unforgiving attitude, toward yourself or someone else, will surely cause unrest in our hearts. It is a burden that is all too easy to hold on to, not wanting to let go and forgive. But we don't have to live in that discouragement and unrest.
I encourage you to ask God if this might be you. Ask him to reveal areas in your life that you may need to extend forgiveness. Look to God as an example. Remember his sacrifice for a people that did not deserve forgiveness. There is peace to be had on the path of forgiveness, when we live according to Truth rather than our feelings.
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