Feeling Hopeless? Read This
Hopelessness is a state of mind that is characterized by despair, depression, lack of optimism and passion. It is a negative emotion that is deeply felt up to the extent of causing health deterioration.
At least once, every one of us has gone through this unpleasant experience, which is usually beyond our control.
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It is worthy of note that Life's unexpected changes are constant and are inescapable. Therefore, our unmet expectations or seemingly failure in life, lead us into a downward spiral of unhappiness and depression.
More important than the "lemons" life throws at us, is our reactions to those unfavorable and seemingly unfair situations. Our responses either draw us more into the grace and protection of God, or into the very trap of the devil himself.
Also, some people are made to believe that once you are saved, and have believed in Christ Jesus, you will no longer experience suffering. This has caused contemporary Christians to become lazy and forget that we actually soldiers in the army of the Lord. Christ has already told us that ....In the world ye shall have tribulation.... but He did not leave it at that, He concluded by saying but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33. God's Word also tells us that Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12
As long as we are in the world, we will continue to experience hardships until we are raptured to meet God, but as long as we continue to look up to God for help, we will continually be victorious.
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Now, we have seen that despair, depression, unhappiness, etc, are bound to occur and we cannot avoid them, but there are certain things we can do to alleviate and even make the best of them.
(1) Do Not Entertain The Feeling Of Discouragement:
As humans, it is not out of the ordinary to feel discouraged whenever our expectations are not/under met, but this negative feeling has done us more harm than good in that, many of us, just as we are about to have our victory and fulfillment, give up on our dreams and ambitions. This is why many of us are unfulfilled and still where we are today.
Thoughts like "I can never make it in life", "only some people are destined to be great", "I've made a lot of mistakes in the past", "it's too late to start over again", "my dreams are too big/unachievable" etc, are what prevent us from rising after a fall and these are all lies from the devil, to prevent us from fulfilling our dreams in life. Nurturing these kind of thoughts make us defeated and unwilling to try again and again.
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Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) 14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Remember, "The darkest night is just before dawn."
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(2) Have The Right Mindset And Attitude:
Attitude is a choice. Charles Swindoll once said "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life....We cannot change the inevitable: the only thing we can do is play on the one string that we have and that is our attitude and thought. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes."
Although we do not have a problem-free life, we are guaranteed of a defeat-free battle when we allow God to fight for us.
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We should also note that challenges are a way of God refining and building us for glorious future, just as gold is refined in the fire to bring out its beauty and lustre. When you think like that, you are motivated to push through every barrier that comes your way, coming out stronger and better.
Also, having a positive mindset will cause you to make positive confessions, comments and declarations instead of murmuring, complaining or blaming God or others. Just like the Shunamite woman in 2 Kings 4:26, we shouldn't give in to difficulties, but should speak always, positive words which will in turn, strengthen our minds, as it is a continuous cycle.
What you put in, is what you will get out. Remember, there is power in the tongue!.
(3) Praise God And Believe His Promises:
Praises during problems seem odd but is actually a mighty weapon to be used during crisis and hopelessness. The more we think of God's goodness in the past, the more we worship Him for his faithfulness and the more He is moved to do more for us. You will agree with me that appreciation motivates the giver to do more; so it is with God, because you are doing the one thing He created you for - worshipping Him.
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Again, when you remove your focus from your problems to God and His word, you will be amazed at how much peace and joy you will have, even in the midst of your present predicament. Reading and rereading God's word reminds us of His promises to hold on to, and His thoughts towards us which are ......thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11
Thanks for reading. Kindly share your thoughts below.
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