Encourage Yourself in the Lord

by Joel Osteen

One of the battles that everyone faces at some time or another is the battle of discouragement. Our dreams don't always happen on our timetable. We go through disappointments and adversities. With so much coming against us, it can be easy to loose enthusiasm and zeal for life. It's good to have family and friends who encourage you. It's good to have a coach, a teacher, or a pastor to cheer you on.

But one thing I've learned is that other people cannot keep us encouraged. They may give us a boost. They may help us from time to time. But if you're really going to live in victory, that encouragement has to come from the inside. You've got to learn to encourage yourself.

When times get tough and things aren't going your way and you feel like giving up on your dreams, deep down in your spirit there has to be a resolve, strength on the inside that says, "I refuse to settle where I am. I know God has a great plan for my life, and I'm going to keep pressing forward to become everything that He's created me to be."

In the Bible, that's what David had to do. At one point, he had suffered a major setback. It was one of the most difficult times of his life. His city had been destroyed, his family was kidnapped, and finally his own men turned against him. It looked like an impossible situation. David could have easily just given up and faded off into the sunset, defeated and depressed.

But the scripture says in I Samuel 3:6, "David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." See, David wasn't depending on his family, his friends, or his colleagues to get him through. He knew how to draw strength and encouragement from within. How did he do it?

He began to replay the victories that God gave him in the past. He remembered how God chose him from His other brothers when he was just a shepherd boy. He remembered how he killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands. He remembered how God helped him defeat Goliath and how He protected him when King Saul was trying to kill him.

As David rehearsed the goodness and faithfulness of God, strength began to fill his heart. He got a new vision of victory. As he thanked God for all that He had done, David went from being depressed and defeated to rising up with that warrior mentality!

Friend, sometimes when you need it the most, the people you're counting on to cheer you up, unfortunately, won't be there for you. That friend that normally calls is out of town. Your spouse is having a tough month. Your co–workers, your parents, they're preoccupied with their own challenges. But when you learn to dig down deep and encourage yourself in the Lord, there is real freedom.

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