Do you ever feel discouraged? Like things aren’t going the way you had hoped?
I definitely do. It is so easy to get caught in this feeling when our eyes are focused on the temporary and not the eternal.
The fact is that discouragement takes no work at all. It comes naturally to each and every one of us, being sinners that we are, the moment that we fail to trust the goodness and wisdom of our God.
As nursing school is coming to a close, friends and classmates are accepting job offers and invitations to interviews. I have been rejected in a way several times. This has been extremely difficult because I have worked so hard in nursing school to be involved, keep a good GPA, and impress my nurses in the clinical setting all of which I hoped would get me the job of my dreams immediately.
Today, was a difficult day as it finally hit me that these rejections mean they are looking for a different fit than myself. WOW, are those words difficult to swallow because you want to believe that everything you have worked for in nursing school isn’t all for nothing.
Although not everyone is going through this same discouragement, I think how we work through the discouragement can be similar.
As I was thinking and praying today, I came to realize a few things:
1. Temporary vs. Eternal Lens
This truly helped me to see the bigger picture.
In Romans 12:2, Paul says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
We need to train ourselves to think differently than we have in the past. When I look through the temporary lens, I see rejection and disappointment in not receiving a job yet. When I look through the eternal lens, I see that God has a purpose in each and every rejection.
This is a lot harder to do than it is to write or say, but I am challenging myself to this as I am going through this season of my life.
2. The Story of Job
Lets look at the story of Job. God allowed Satan to tempt and test Job’s faith in God. Job becomes discouraged. His friends and wife were telling him to curse God.
Eventually, the testing proves too much for Job, and he grows sarcastic, impatient, and afraid. He laments the injustice that God lets wicked people prosper while he and countless other innocent people suffer.
Elihu then comes into the picture and rebukes Job. He says that physical suffering provides the sufferer with an opportunity to realize God’s love and forgiveness when he is well again, understanding that God has “ransomed” him (33:24). Elihu proclaims God’s majesty, God’s greatness, and asserts God’s justice.
God finally interrupts, calling from a whirlwind and demanding Job to be brave and respond to his questions. God’s questions are rhetorical, intending to show how little Job knows about creation and how much power God alone has. Overwhelmed by the encounter, Job acknowledges God’s unlimited power and admits the limitations of his human knowledge.
This story is so encouraging as it shows that even some of the greatest servants of God aren’t perfect. Job began to question God and became discouraged in the wake of the temptations and testing.
Job’s friend Elihu was one of the few people in his life that helped to encourage him to point his eyes back to God. I think it is so important to find friends that support you and point you back to God.
Ultimately, God shows Job that he knows everything from the number of clouds and stars to the expansion of His creation. Let us not forget this when we become discouraged because something has not gone the way we had hoped or we didn’t get something we wanted.
3. Hold onto God’s Promises
“Let us hold unshakably fast the confession of our hope, for he is faithful who promised.” (Hebrews 10:23)
He is faithful. He will complete the work, even if it takes longer than you hoped or it is not exactly what you had hoped for. He has the entire picture in view and “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Phillipians 2:13)
It is encouraging knowing that God knows the entirety of my life and each trial and discouragement is there for a reason.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
4. Final Thoughts
The truth is life is hard, situations and people disappoint us and we don’t always understand God or His ways.
“In everything, give thanks for this is the will of God” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Gratitude is a powerful anecdote for discouragement. For me, this is praising Him for not giving me those jobs. God could be saving me from a job that isn’t right for me. God could be saving me for a different job that is perfect for me that I might not have chosen had I had multiple offers. God could be testing my faith. Ultimately, I don’t know the whole picture. What I do know is that God is good and I need to trust in His plan. For you, this might look differently. God is in control and knows the bigger picture for each and every one of our lives.
xoxo,
Ashley Welborn
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