When You Feel Like Giving Up… Part 2 We’ve talked about FATIGUE and FRUSTRATION as two reasons for discouragement. Let’s look at two more today.
3. FAILURE. v. 10 “There is so much rubble that we rebuild the wall.” They’re saying, “We should never even tried this project. It’s ridiculous. Who are we to think we could ever finish this job.” They were unable to finish the wall in the time that they had set originally and they didn’t meet their original deadline and they got discouraged and gave up because they had failed. “We didn’t do it on time.” So FAILURE is the third cause of discouragement. They weren’t able to finish the task as quickly as planned and the result was their confidence goes down the drain. They lose heart. They lose their enthusiasm. And they get discouraged.
The question is: How do you react to failure? How do you respond to it when your plans collapse? When things aren’t accomplished on time and you don’t meet your original goal? Do you give into self-pity, blame yourself, or do you start blaming other people? Do you start complaining? “It’s impossible!” Just about the time I think I’m going to make ends meet somebody moves the ends.
Winners see failures only as temporary setbacks.
4. FEAR. v. 11 “Also our enemies said, `Before they see us we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to their work.’” The fourth cause of discouragement is FEAR.
The background of this story is there were some enemies who didn’t want the wall built. They were doing everything they could to keep the wall from being built. First they ridiculed the Jews, then they criticized the Jews, and finally they threatened the Jews — “We’re going to kill you!”
Do you like to be criticized? In the paper this morning was the evaluation of the Orange County Supervisors. They said some mean things in that article. If I were one of the supervisors I’d be feeling pretty discouraged right now. Nobody likes to be criticized, and nobody likes to be afraid either.
Who gets afraid? v. 12 “Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, `Wherever you turn they will attack us.’” If you constantly live near negative people and you constantly listen to negative thoughts and complaining, you’re going to be infected.
What fears are causing you to be discouraged this morning? Fear of embarrassment? Fear of failure? Fear that you have to be perfect? Fear that you can’t handle the pressure?
How do you know when you’re discouraged because of fear? Because you have an intense desire to run. “I’ve got to get out of this place! I’ve got to quit my job!” You have this tremendous desire to escape to Tahiti. I’ve got to escape from the demands, the pressures. I’ve got to get out of here. Those are the common causes.
If you’re discouraged it’s inevitably one of those four. Fear, Frustration, Failure, or Fatigue. Just stop and do a little check list. What’s causing the problem? Once you identify the problem — Is it fear? Frustration? Fatigue? Failure? — Then you need to look at the antidote. Thank God the antidote is right here in this passage too. Part 3 to follow soon.
We’ve talked about FATIGUE and FRUSTRATION as two reasons for discouragement. Let’s look at two more today.
3. FAILURE. v. 10 “There is so much rubble that we rebuild the wall.” They’re saying, “We should never even tried this project. It’s ridiculous. Who are we to think we could ever finish this job.” They were unable to finish the wall in the time that they had set originally and they didn’t meet their original deadline and they got discouraged and gave up because they had failed. “We didn’t do it on time.” So FAILURE is the third cause of discouragement. They weren’t able to finish the task as quickly as planned and the result was their confidence goes down the drain. They lose heart. They lose their enthusiasm. And they get discouraged.
The question is: How do you react to failure? How do you respond to it when your plans collapse? When things aren’t accomplished on time and you don’t meet your original goal? Do you give into self-pity, blame yourself, or do you start blaming other people? Do you start complaining? “It’s impossible!” Just about the time I think I’m going to make ends meet somebody moves the ends.
Winners see failures only as temporary setbacks.
4. FEAR. v. 11 “Also our enemies said, `Before they see us we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to their work.’” The fourth cause of discouragement is FEAR.
The background of this story is there were some enemies who didn’t want the wall built. They were doing everything they could to keep the wall from being built. First they ridiculed the Jews, then they criticized the Jews, and finally they threatened the Jews — “We’re going to kill you!”
Do you like to be criticized? In the paper this morning was the evaluation of the Orange County Supervisors. They said some mean things in that article. If I were one of the supervisors I’d be feeling pretty discouraged right now. Nobody likes to be criticized, and nobody likes to be afraid either.
Who gets afraid? v. 12 “Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, `Wherever you turn they will attack us.’” If you constantly live near negative people and you constantly listen to negative thoughts and complaining, you’re going to be infected.
What fears are causing you to be discouraged this morning? Fear of embarrassment? Fear of failure? Fear that you have to be perfect? Fear that you can’t handle the pressure?
How do you know when you’re discouraged because of fear? Because you have an intense desire to run. “I’ve got to get out of this place! I’ve got to quit my job!” You have this tremendous desire to escape to Tahiti. I’ve got to escape from the demands, the pressures. I’ve got to get out of here. Those are the common causes.
If you’re discouraged it’s inevitably one of those four. Fear, Frustration, Failure, or Fatigue. Just stop and do a little check list. What’s causing the problem? Once you identify the problem — Is it fear? Frustration? Fatigue? Failure? — Then you need to look at the antidote. Thank God the antidote is right here in this passage too. Part 3 to follow soon.
By Ron Corzine
