Oh, man. Discouragement crept in and made himself comfortable. He pitched a tent, blew up an air mattress, got his heated blanket, and hot cocoa and cozied up next to me. He started jabbering away in my ear spewing all his lies but making me feel like I was talking over coffee with a friend. I fell for his trap and started believing every word.

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:17-19

The discouragement became the encouragement. I was searching and straining to be filled and instead, allowed a bate and switch to occur. I enabled discouragement to take the reigns and he was off. You see, I was looking to the wrong things and in the wrong places to be filled. I was looking to myself, my abilities (or inabilities), my friends, my family, and this world to fill my needs, wants, desires, and to be my encouragement. When, the only way I can be completely filled, completely encouraged, is through the Lord.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

I was casting my burdens in the wrong lake. I put the responsibility of relieving my pain in the wrong hands: in my own abilities, in others, in my circumstances. And I came up even emptier than before. I felt like a child lost in the grocery store panicking and pacing trying desperately to find my safety and relief only to continue to lose my way.

I was trying desperately to sustain an unfulfilling season in my life by passing the baton of control to discouragement and not the true Encourager.

God has placed a desire in my heart and in yours, too. We seek, fight, and work out that desire usually with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. It is easy to find discouragement when our lives do not match our dreams. We continue to chase after that desire like a novice trying to run a marathon without any training. Instead of chasing on our own, we need to delight ourselves in Him so we can truly find out what that desire is that He has placed within our hearts. It is only in this space that we will find true encouragement; especially when pursuing those dreams.

I have to stop finding my encouragement in myself, in others, or the things of this world. On a side note, I will say, a good hair day or the perfect avocado can really encourage a girl on a crummy day. I digress.

Discouragement breeds when we look everywhere but to God for encouragement. Encouragement, fulfillment really, is only found in the Lord. The rest will leave us disappointed.

So, when you check that post to see how many likes you got, or you cook that meal waiting for praise from your family, or you wear that cute outfit waiting for the world to acknowledge your beauty, or you write that post, or post that video waiting for it to go viral, remember that your worth, your value, your encouragement does not rest in these things. It rests in the Lord.

…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Love & Blessings,

Meg