Get Up When Your Feeling Down

Ministry is tiring both emotionally and physically. In fact, most pastors struggle with chronic discouragement. Personally, discouragement usually hits me on Mondays. But I know I'm not alone. It’s not just pastors who experience times when their feeling down in life.

I like to talk to a lot of people, and one thing we most of us have in common is we feel spread too thin. We are emotionally spent and physically exhausted by the time the weekend hits. Then we have to make up for all the chores, tasks and family responsibilities that have either been put off or can only be accomplished on the weekends. If you constantly live that “go-go-go” lifestyle without any break you’ll eventually wear out physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We charge into the new work week already on empty. It’s no coincidence that most heart attacks happen Monday morning within 3 hours of waking up! (of course I believe there is a major additional contributing factor to this, but that is for another article…)

I’m glad to say there is an antidote! It is found in the fourth chapter of Nehemiah, and it can be a lifesaver. It consists of 4 simple principles: 

1. Rest Your Body
The fact is, you're “human being,” not a “human doing.” Human beings need to do human things like rest and play and relax and have hobbies. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is to just go to sleep! “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” Psalm 127:2 (NLT)

2. Reorganize Your Work:
Nehemiah did this when they were rebuilding the wall. When his people got discouraged half way through the project, he reorganized them by families and gave them new specific assignments. This is an important truth to remember. Sometimes, when you're discouraged, it's not that you're doing the wrong thing; but rather that you're doing it in the wrong way. Just reorganize how you are going about it, and learn some new skills. Try a fresh approach. Attack it from a different angle. Learn. Grow. Reorganize!

3. Remember The LORD!
Discouragement is an attitude, and attitudes are always a choice. I get discouraged when I choose to think discouraging thoughts. But no one is forcing those thoughts on me. I can choose to focus on whatever I want to. Instead of focusing on the problem, focus on the answer…GOD!!!

4. Resist The Devil:
It’s been said, "If you don't get up in the morning and meet the devil, you're headed the wrong way." We are in a spiritual battle, and the devil doesn't want the kingdom of God to advance. If you’re trying to carry out the Great Commission, you’re on the front line, so you're going to get hit. The devil will attack you with every kind of thing he can think of to discourage you. He is the accuser of the brethren, and he would love to derail you with discouragement. James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil!" Don't give in!

You can't control the cantankerous or carnal people in your life. You can’t always control the chaos. But you can chose how you respond to them. You can choose whether you're going to let it discourage you or not. There's an old phrase: "Tough times never last, but tough people do." It's true. So don't give up! God is not finished with you!

Rest your body.

Reorganize your work.

Remember the Lord.

And resist the Devil.