In the nineties there was a song1 that quickly became affiliated with the Rugby World Cup, “I get knocked down, but I get up again. You’re never gonna keep me down, I get knocked down, but I get up again. You’re never gonna keep me down.”
Many of us know that sinking feeling of discouragement—of being knocked down. Discouragement means a lack of courage. When we experience trials or difficulties that overwhelm us, we can lose our enthusiasm and become disheartened. Discouragement is frequently linked to fear, particularly when we are uncertain about the outcome of events or the consequences that may arise from our actions. It often goes hand in hand with disappointment, particularly when our expectations remain unmet. Christians may experience discouragement as a sense of unhappiness that arises from losing confidence in our abilities, the reliability of God, or the power of the gospel.
Discouragement is linked to depression, dejection, or hopelessness. When we feel discouraged, it is as if there is this huge obstacle in our way that we are unable to move or get around. This results in us feeling stuck and unable to move forward. For many of us, discouragement leads to procrastination and an inability to be motivated and effective in our lives and calling.
Rick Ezell maintains that Satan is frequently responsible for discouragement. He depicts the devil selling tools such as envy, jealousy, deceit, pride, etc. from his toolbox. Satan notes that the harmless-looking tool of discouragement would be “markedly expensive,” and when asked why, he quips, “Discouragement is used to pry open a person’s heart. You can see that the tool of discouragement is so badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, and very few people know that it belongs to me.”2
Discouragement can creep in when we face trials and unforeseen difficulties related to a career, our health, relationships, marriages, or parenting. Years ago, the leaders in my church initially supported me in a ministry that I believed I was called to; then without any explanation, they withdrew their support. I felt disappointed and confused—discouraged—and questioned God’s plan for my life and ministry.
A Biblical character who experienced severe bouts of discouragement was Jeremiah. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet who spent forty years of his ministry calling the people of Judah to repent and turn back to God. When God’s patience ran out, Jeremiah was informed that the people of Judah were going to be destroyed by the sword, pestilence, and famine and that those who survived God’s wrath would be exiled. For Jeremiah, Judah’s destruction came as a huge blow. Imagine what discouragement he must have felt. His ministry calling Judah back to God had failed miserably!
Sins like pride, greed, and covetousness tend to fuel our discouragement too. Jesus uses the parable of the farmer scattering seed to teach his disciples that some believers hear the word of God and receive it, but their faith is choked by the cares of this world, riches, the pleasures of life, and the desire for other things (Matt 13:1–23; Mark 4:1–20; Luke 8:4–15), which results in their hearts being unreceptive to the Gospel and their lives remaining unfruitful. When we look around us and see other people’s successes, their gifting, their wealth, it can call this discontentment in our lives—the very lives that God has crafted and ordained for us to live.
Jeremiah 18 portrays God as the potter, whilst Judah (and the rest of us) are like clay in his hands, sovereignly shaped according to his will and purposes for our lives. Discouragement exposes what we believe about God, his character, and his design for us. As believers we can be tempted to indulge in our sinful unbelief when we become consumed with the troubles of this life rather than resting in the assurance of God’s promises, his sovereignty, and our future inheritance of eternal life.
So, when we are knocked down by discouragement, how do we get back up again? Here are four ideas that I think you might find helpful:
- Fan our faith into flame
What I love about Jeremiah is that regardless of his tumultuous emotions, his being at odds with Judah, and his belief that God had deceived him, he still declares God’s sovereignty over his life. He describes God’s word and call upon his life as an irrepressible force and the presence and power of God as an unquenchable fire in his heart (Jer 20:9). Jeremiah laments that he has momentarily managed to quench this fire, but not for long, for he must still—despite all his circumstances—faithfully respond to God’s call upon his life.
When we get knocked down, we need to fan into flame the fire of the Holy Spirit that sits in our hearts. Second Timothy 1:6 encourages us to “fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.” (NIV). It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can overcome discouragement. I believe that we keep the fire in our hearts burning by loving God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind; by worshipping Jesus, by adoring him, and living our lives in service to him. Our love for God should be greater than all of our desires, all of our plans, and all of our expectations for this life.
- Stand firm
Once we have fanned the fire of God in our hearts, we need to get up and stand firm in our faith. Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (NIV). We stand firm by believing and having hope in our salvation, by holding onto God’s truth, and by trusting in the righteousness that we have in Christ and the peace that Christ’s sacrifice affords us to have with our Father.
At his lowest Jeremiah declares: “But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior.” (Jer 20:11, NIV) As believers, we need to trust that we can call on God in our times of discouragement and despair and that our Father, who knows what we are going through, will be beside us.
We need to remember God’s words to Joshua before the Israelites entered the promised land: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Jos 1:9 NIV). When courage fails us and our faith wavers, God reminds us to stand firm. We do this by remembering that God is beside us, fighting with us and for us.
- Become an encourager
Once we are standing, we can help others get up again. Galatians 6:2 calls us to help carry one another’s burdens. We need to come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ, assist them where we can, and encourage them so that they too may remain steadfast in their faith. We can remind them to trust the mighty warrior who stands at their side, and with our hearts burning for God, we can all rest in the knowledge that “he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Eph 3:20, NIV).
- Persevere
The antidote to the Devil’s poison of discouragement is perseverance. When we feel our heart being pried open by disappointment and discouragement, we can remember to fan into flame our faith, love, and trust in Jesus. We need to keep on getting up, time after time. When we stand, we can remember that God is beside us like a mighty warrior, fighting for us and helping us to persevere. With him at our side, we will be able to endure. Once we commit our cause to God, as Jeremiah did (Jer 20:12), we can rest and trust in Him. We can pray to him to intervene on our behalf, and despite our turbulent emotions, we can stubbornly remain steadfast in our faith.
So, when you are knocked down by discouragement, get back up again! Remember that nothing can keep you down. Keep on getting up, stand firm, encourage believers around you to remain steadfast in their faith, and then watch God work masterfully.
References
Bruce, Dunstan. 1997. “Tubthumping.” Recorded by Chumbawamba. Track 1 Tubthumper. Castleford: Woodlands.
Ezell, Rick. 2014. “Sermon: Rise Above discouragement—Jeremiah 20”. Lifeway. Accessed April 20th, 2024. https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-rise-above-discouragement-jeremiah-20