DISCOURAGING
DISCOURAGMENT
Rev. Mike Jones,
I Kings 19:-
Elijah, the great man of God, had burst on the scene in Chapter 17 and
had turned the nation of
I. The Cause of the Discouragement: Jezebel threatened to kill him! Elijah expected to be applauded for his victory but instead he was attacked. This attack led to Discouragement because Elijah:
A) Did not think realistically or clearly. God had protected him and provided for him during the drought and had produced fire on the mountain and rain for the country in answer to his prayers. Now he put a woman’s threat above God’s protection. This is the let down that often follows a victory.
B) Separated himself from strengthening relationships- He ran away into the desert and then hid in a cave by himself. Just when people need companionship to help in a problem they tend to clam up.
C) Allowed himself to become physically and mentally exhausted. He had lived under great stress for a year as he hid from the king. The confrontation on the mountain had been very stressful. Even God knows that 6 days of creation means you need to rest for a day!
D) Submitted to Self Pity- “Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I think I will eat worms!”. Elijah expected this one victory to win the war. People have unrealistic expectations and they get despondent when things do not go as they expected.
II. The Cure for Discouragement: God did not preach to Elijah or tell him to “perk up and do better”. He provided what was needed in order for Elijah to regain his “balance” in life.
A) Get Rest and Refreshment- God knew that Elijah needed to recharge his body before he could begin to think correctly. Depression is a NATURAL result of exhaustion- it is the body’s way of telling you that it needs rest (not just sleep. The mind needs to relax; and many things on TV bring stress instead of relaxation).
B) Name your Problem- “What are you doing here, Elijah?” God used a question to get Elijah to name his problem. You must identify your problem before you can solve it. (Be careful that you do not name the fruit of the problem instead of the root of the problem!). Are you discouraged because the bills are piling up or because you think God has failed or abandoned you?
C) Listen for God’s Voice- God was not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire. He spoke through a still small voice (We must learn to still our hearts enough to hear God). Elijah needed to clearly see again who was in control of circumstances and of him!
D) Rekindle your vision:
1) A new King was to be anointed (If the King would not change then God would change the King!)
2) A new Assistant was to be trained. This gave Elijah hope for the future, companionship for the present, and a channel for future progress.
3) A new awareness of God’s faithful people was given Elijah- It is not “I only am left” but 7000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Elijah’s work had not been in vain. It had accomplished something. He just had not seen the real results.
Don’t travel into the