In the classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, the main character, Christian, tumbles into the miry bog, the “slough of despond,” and struggles to get free. But the heavy burden on his back pulls him in deeper, and he begins to sink.
This image pictures what it feels like when we’re sinking in difficult circumstances—when our debts outweigh our income, when past hurts won’t heal, when discontentment marks our relationships, and when the light of heaven seems distant and dim. Discouragement, despondency, pain, suffering—these miry pits along life’s journey can pull us down into our own “slough of despond.”
Christian’s rescue came by the hand of a fellow traveller named Help...and the same is true for you today. Use these resources to find encouragement for your own life...or to minister help to those you find along life’s journey.
I'm convinced that one of the reasons mountain climbers connect themselves to one another with a rope is to keep the one on the end from going home. Guys out front never consider that as an option...but those in the rear, well....
Sometimes we’re not quite sure what to say to someone who’s going through a tough time. Chuck Swindoll says that massive doses of this will make a great start.
The family of God is not a place for verbal putdowns, sarcastic jabs, critical comment, and harsh judgments. We get enough of that from the world. This is a place we need to assemble for the purpose of being encouraged.
Those who watch you perform a skill have no idea how much time you’ve spent training first. Chuck Swindoll urges us to keep pushing toward excellence behind the scenes.
Good leaders will say, “Stay at it!” Ever notice how motivated and strengthened you feel when you have people who come alongside and let you know they want you to succeed? And the result? “Many people were brought to the Lord.”
Building up others means to edify, encourage, and uplift them so they will be strengthened inwardly to persevere despite difficulty. Encouragement seeks to infuse difficulty with meaning. Without that sense of meaning, hope and the will to go on fades.
Imagine this was your last winter. What would you do? Would you build a snowman just because you could? Would you enjoy a roaring fire and a good book? Would it make a difference if you knew this was your last winter? You bet it would.
Negativity is all around us, but it is possible to rise above it. The key? Grace. Grace changes our attitudes, and makes an incredible difference in our relationships. Grace will give you a "yes face."
The Apostle Paul prayed to God on the Ephesians' behalf that they would be filled with the love of Christ and the strength of His Spirit.
Paul's example and his message provide reason for us to feel secure in God's hands, that we might not suffer discouragement before Him.
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