Life can be difficult at times. This is especially true now with public health restrictions in place, young children at home, unprotected from infections, and new remote work arrangements associated with a seemingly never-ending COVID-19 pandemic.

At other times, you work hard, try your best but things still do not work out as planned. You plan, prepare, think ahead — and yet, something unforeseen comes out of nowhere creating other obstacles you need to overcome. You keep your end of a business arrangement, work or church assignment but the other party/parties intentionally do not, causing you great loss and pain.

Maybe, you are trying for a job you really want, you have gone to interview after interview, and you cannot land it; or you are dating and after multiple relationships, you just cannot find lasting love. You have lost three pounds but that is far from the 25 you are hoping to lose. You have a book you want to write, a song you want to produce, a change to make – but no deal. You feel burdened, lose heart, and hit the giant wall known as discouragement.

Discouragement literally means “without courage.” It denotes a sense of failure; an inability to make something happen. You feel nothing good will ever happen to and for you. You feel sad, heavy, stuck – even hopeless at times. I am certain that this type of discouragement burdens all of us, and is one of the greatest killers of the human spirit. However, through whatever doubt and misery you are facing, you must remain open to new possibilities and quit projecting further failures. If you do not, your live could easily become joyless, directionless.

So, how do we regain courage and heart in the face of discouragement? How do we regain a sense of hopefulness? Here are a few useful tips:

1. ACKNOWLEDGE IT: When you sense yourself feeling discouraged, acknowledge it. Though it can be difficult to name a negative emotion, and to say, “I feel discouraged”, you must. Otherwise, you cannot take control of it, and shake it off.
2. ACCEPT IT: Acceptance means you see the discouragement for what it is and you do not resist or judge yourself for experiencing it. Discouragement happens to many people and right now I am one of those people.
3. SHARE YOUR FEELINGS HONESTLY WITH SOMEONE YOU TRUST. It is important to find a person that you trust, who knows you well and understands you and come clean about your feelings of discouragement. This way, you can talk it out and start to let go of that “stuck” or trapped feeling that accompanies discouragement. Of course, God is always there and you can “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken (Psalm 55:22).
4. DIRECT YOUR ENERGY TO HELPING SOMEONE IN NEED. The fastest way (some say the best way) to regain hope and a sense or purpose is to extend yourself and to help someone in need. “Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfil the law of Christ.” … (Galatians 6:2, NKJV).
5. CHANGE YOUR FOCUS. Usually, when you have helped someone else, you get a sense that you can get out of your own situation and come up with workable solutions. As such, you must let go of the feeling of discouragement, unbound your heart, and move on with a heart of gratitude to a brighter day.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6,7, NKJV).

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).