Dealing with Discouragement, Difficulties, and Doubts

What can we do when we feel negative, weary, discouraged, or depressed?

It’s so easy to complain, forget our blessings, and concentrate on our pain, sorrow, frustration, confusion, or hardship. I admit that I’m sometimes guilty of this. 

That’s when I need to put things in perspective. 

That doesn’t mean I deny the sad situations in my life. But I seek to view them realistically as they fit into the big picture. The older I get, the more I realize that gratitude is a decision. People with easy lives can be negative and self-centered, and people with difficult lives can be grateful and gracious.  

There are lots of ways to cultivate gratitude, such as listing our blessings, reciting them out loud, and focusing on all that God has done for us in the past (Psalm 77:11-12). 

But it’s our choice. We can choose to dwell on the hard things. Or we can acknowledge the hard things but dwell on the good things (Philippians 4:8-9).

There’s nothing wrong with sharing our challenges and hardships with others, but we’ll feel better if we share a few of our blessings as well.

No matter what happens to us, we know that God understands our troubles, and He can give us peace in the midst of them (John 16:33).

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For more insights, see Seeing the Good in the Bad and Even if He Doesn't. 

I encourage you to check out Wisdom for Life. It will help you change your perspective with concise biblical truths.

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