Discouragement is the enemy

Something struck me recently. It actually was something that I heard at the last "Girl Time" meeting we have once every other month at church. Mary had made a comment that "discouragement is our enemy", in terms of how we take care of our hearts. When I say take care of our hearts, I mean that in regards to the condition of our hearts towards our relationship with Jesus. It's so easy to be gung-ho about our walk with the Lord, when life is great, the weather is perfect, and things are going "our" way. But when things take the rough road, aren't turning out the way that we desire them to go, and we become discouraged, it is so easy to throw our hands up. This is when we become depressed, questions decisions that we made because we thought God was the one directing the decision. We allow the thoughts and opinions of others to pierce us deep in our hearts. This is when discouragement becomes our enemy, because that is when our focus is removed from the Lord and all we can see is the situation then and there. I write this for myself just as much as anyone; to be able to battle discouragement we must daily make a decision to be in prayer, asking God to protect our hearts at those times. Discouragement will still come, sure, but we can also prepare ourselves daily by allowing ourselves to spend that time with the Lord (remember the armor of God that is talked about in Ephesians?). One of my favorite verses for times when I am discouraged is Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."