Get Encouraged and Stay Encouraged!预览

DISCOURAGEMENT – A TOOL OF THE ENEMY

Have you ever felt discouraged? I think we all have. And when we feel discouraged, do we jump out of bed in the morning, ready to obey God, resist the devil, confess the Word and conquer the world with our faith?

No! When we’re discouraged, we feel like staying in bed and pulling up the covers, wishing the world would go away.

It’s easy to see why being discouraged is so detrimental to our lives, and why being encouraged is so important! When you’re encouraged – full of courage -- you’re much more likely to win life’s battles, be an example, and help others.

Here’s a story that I once heard:

It was announced that the devil was going out of business and would offer all tools for sale to whoever would pay his price. On the night of the sale they were all attractively displayed, and a bad looking lot they were: Malice, Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Sensuality, Deceit and all the other implements of evil were spread out each marked with its price.

Apart from the rest lay a harmless looking wedge-shaped tool, much worn and priced higher than any of the others. Someone asked the devil what it was.

"That's Discouragement," was the reply.

"Why do you have it priced so high?"

"Because," replied Satan, "it is more useful to me than any of the others. I can pry open and get inside a person's consciousness with Discouragement, when I could not get near them with any of the other tools. When once inside I can use them in whatever way suits me best. It is so much worn because I use it with nearly everybody, as very few people yet know it belongs to me."

Now, I’m not saying that’s a doctrine-wise accurate story but you get the point. Discouragement is one of the devil’s most-used, most-effective tools. So it follows that encouragement is one of our best weapons we have for overcoming his devices!