If You Have Been Feeling Discouraged, This Might Be Why

You have cried, waited, and watched as everyone else has had their prayers answered, only for you to wonder, “What about me, God?”

But what if your problem with being discouraged is not your situation, but a big mistake you might be making without realizing it?

In 1 Samuel 1, we meet a husband named Elkanah and one of his wives, Hannah. Hannah was in deep pain and dealing with a lot of confusion because she was not able to have children. In her culture, she would have been made fun of, and her husband would have been disappointed. It was a social shame for a woman not to be able to have children. Not only was Hannah unable to have children, but she was also continually mocked by Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah. 

Can you imagine constantly trying to trust God while not having your prayers answered, continually mocked, and nothing changing in your life?

Hannah had every reason to be discouraged. She could have given up and lost hope. She could have given up her faith. While she could have done all this, she did something we tend to forget to do when we find ourselves becoming discouraged. Hannah poured her heart out to God and prayed to Him.

She prayed honestly to God and expressed her concerns to Him. She paused and cried out to God.

This is where most of us go wrong. When we get discouraged in life, we want to give up. I have been there many times. The one big mistake we make when we feel discouraged is that we let it define us instead of praying honestly to God.

Immediately after Hannah finished praying, nothing changed in her life. But she had peace. She presented her struggles with God and then trusted His plans for the future.

You may pray for a change, and nothing may happen. But that does not mean God is not at work. What if the key to having peace is not getting what you want, but living with a trusting faith that God is in control?

Today, stop living in discouragement and live by faith in God.