This morning my right arm ached, reminding me of lymph nodes removed in surgery ten years ago. This, in the middle of waiting once again for the results of another biopsy taken just last week. No matter how many years pass or how many biopsies I have, my mind is prone to wander. I heard a lot of what if’s while waiting.

And then recently I found myself (once again) comparing myself to other women. I heard things like “You’re not enough, You’ll never ____, You can’t ____. . . ”

Last week I started thinking of all the ways I’ve failed at home school this year. I heard things like “You shouldn’t have, I can’t believe you ____, You’ll never ____. . . ”

Geez Louis. Do you see a pattern?

One thing I’ve learned is the importance of recognizing unhealthy, negative thoughts and tossing them in the trash right where they belong as quickly as possible.

Thankfully, I’ve come a long way in this area. That doesn’t mean I don’t still have these thoughts. I’m just less generous with the power I give them.

Learning to recognize the poison of negative thinking before it invades our minds enables us to make decisions based on truth rather than fear. The Word of God is the perfect antidote to the sneaky tactics and lies of the enemy.

But what happens when we’re caught off guard? When we aren’t so quick to recognize an assignment that’s been sent against us to make us stumble or get us off track?

A few months ago I stood at my bathroom sink in a small pool of water. After a careful investigation, I discovered the source of the problem. A slow drip from some pipes at the back of the cabinet had – over the course of many weeks or longer – soaked through everything and finally made its way to the floor.
Because we were unaware of the leak and did not fix it when it started, the water did some extensive damage. My husband had to rip out, replace, and rebuild a large section of my cabinet. I also had to discard some stored items that had been ruined one drip at a time.

In the same way, negative thinking – if not recognized and fixed quickly – can cause extensive damage one thought at a time. We can quickly become drenched in a pool of discouragement.

I don’t know about you but I’ve stood in a pool of discouragement before and it is no fun.

Discouragement disconnects our hearts from the place we gather courage.

It displaces us. It dis-appoints us from our assignments. Tells us we’re not up for the challenge. Removes us from the game. Causes us to forget who we are and whose we are.

Discouragement tempts us to focus inward, on ourselves, and moves us to a place of despair. In a moment of despair we can make unwise decisions, lose hope, and position ourselves for defeat. We must not park our hearts and thoughts in a place where discouragement can take root.

When our hearts rest on the problem we get discouraged. When our hearts rest on the answer we find courage and strength.

Anytime I’m discouraged I always think of David’s story in I Samuel 30. In verse six David is “greatly distressed” and the way he gets out of this place is by encouraging himself in the Lord his God. He finds strength to “recover all” (vs. 19).

If you’re in a place of discouragement today, there is hope. You too can find the strength to recover all!

• Be quick to recognize negative thoughts or any other door the enemy tries to open in your life so that discouragement can come in.
• Search God’s Word for truth. Find scriptures and promises of hope and park your mind and heart there.
• Be brave and reach out to someone. We were made for community. And Proverbs 11:25 says when we refresh others, we will be refreshed. Let’s pray for and encourage each other.

As always, you have an open invitation here to leave your prayer requests in a comment or send me a private email.

(Update: Since writing this post I have received a good report from my biopsy mentioned above.)

Scriptures

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Is 26:3 NLT

“Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 Amp

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” 2 Cor 10:4-5 NKJV

“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 NLT