How to feel encouraged when you feel discouraged

There are days when everything seems to be going great, and then there are those days when everything completely sucks with feelings of sorrow, negativity, and a lot of complaining. This is how I felt all week. I tried so hard not to feel discouraged, I even prayed and asked God for help, but nothing seemed to work. I am pretty sure God heard my prayer because my neighbor texted me out of nowhere, saying, “I feel like the Lord wants to tell your not to grow weary in doing well.” And then my husband realized without me saying anything that I was down, and he would encourage me. It was helpful, and it made me feel so loved, but I still felt discouraged. There were these lingering feelings of depression and oppression. I didn’t go through anything too crazy to get me to the point, but this is how I felt. At the end of my workday today, I was just done with the day. I wanted to be mad and remain mad, but at the same time, I wanted to go back to feeling present. I came across a YouTube motivational preaching that I thought might help, but I knew deep down that that wasn’t the answer. Instead, I played some instrumental worship music, and I talked to God and cried freely.

I got real with Him and told Him all the reasons I was discouraged, and I also acknowledged my need for Him. At that moment, I truly realized that no amount of money, accomplishments, love, or gifts could fix my soul’s discouragement. Only God can speak life into the hopeless parts of my being. After praying, I felt that I was supposed to say out loud all the things going right in my life. As I began to do that, the burden began to disappear, and I started to see and think more clearly. Proper encouragement can only come from the one who knows what is hurting us when we don’t have the answer. Tonight I was greatly encouraged by the one who loves my soul, and I hope you have been inspired by reading this and have the desire to talk to God now.

You are not alone!

Fighting the “I am not good enough thoughts”

Fighting the “I am not good enough thoughts” is a battle between your mind and heart. When your heart and mind have been wounded by the lies people have spoken over you, you remain stuck. I will share with you how to break free from these lies…

There was a study done for two plants at a school to prove a point: The plant that was positively affirmed flourished, and the one that was spoken negatively to died.

I wonder if a part of our heart and mind shuts down when we have been beaten up with horrible words. I am not sure, but I do know that these words affect how we view ourselves and how we live our life. Words have power and I know this too well. I have seen how my words have brought people low, and also how they have brought them up. I used to have a friend in high school who struggled with depression, and when I took the time to call out all the good in her, she began to flourish and make positive choices. But I have also seen how my hurtful words have affected people, and how they keep bringing up in conversations what I said in the past.

When I think about the power words have, I think about the bible verse on Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

As a child, I lived through rejection of not feeling wanted because my dad wanted me to be aborted when he found out about me. Also, I went through sexual abuse at the age of 7 and after that, I was scared of the world. People had a hard time understanding me, and for that I always felt judged by them. As I got older, specially in high school, people began to speak horrible things to me such as “You are not enough”, and I began to believe this lie. I was living my life from a place of not feeling enough, and for that I would make poor choices, such as who I dated, and how insecurely I conducted myself.

Why did I let people determine my worth? Because I saw them as worthy, and I believed them. I wish I would not had given them power over me, but I did because I did not know any better.

When I came to have a relationship with God, I thought He also thought I wasn’t worthy because of my past mistakes (sins), but God isn’t like these people. He picked me up and called out the good in me. He began to reaffirm me in my identity and reminded me that I am enough, because he is my creator. That I am worthy because He died for me, and that I am loved because He is with me wherever I go.

I encourage you to let your battle be in prayer and in surrender. Allow God to be the authority in your life. Give Him the power to affirm you and begin to believe what He says about you….

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.