A few months ago I began looking for a new job. Even though my last job was offering me promotions, more money and all of that jazz, I simply wasn't happy there and wanted more out of a career. But as I began searching for jobs, I realized that I didn't come close to meeting the requirements for most of the jobs that I was interested in. How in the world can I get a callback when I don’t even meet the minimum requirements for these jobs, let alone the main requirements? I was beyond frustrated, annoyed but most of all discouraged. How can I find a career in a field that I don’t have ANY experience in? Thoughts like this ran through my mind. These thoughts fed more and more into my already growing feelings of discouragement. The more I thought about it, and the details of the situation the more discouraged I felt.

 

Long story short, by following the instructions that God gave me on discouragement, even though my situation hadn’t changed yet, I became happy in the exact same situation that started my discouragement. A few months later, I accepted my dream job in Human Resources, making a SIGNIFICANTLY higher salary, the PERFECT work schedule, AND majority of my team of coworkers are believers. *starts crying tears of joy all over again*

 

Here’s how God helped me conquer discouragement and get the victory.

He first showed me how I got SO discouraged and then He showed me how to get out of it.

 

How did I get THIS discouraged and how do I get out of it?

·         Most of the time our discouragement comes from our own thinking. We think ourselves into a rut of defeat. You might start with something small like "My car has been sounding a little funny in the morning" and five minutes later you're into your thoughts so deep you feel even worse than you felt in the beginning, "How can I afford to take my car to the shop? “It's probably going to be over $500!”,“I hate to have to ask anyone for money..”. You haven't even done anything except for think and you’re discouraged. You got discouraged just by being alone with your thoughts.

·         We can think ourselves into discouragement, so that means that we can think ourselves OUT of discouragement too. God reminded me that none of the scenarios I thought up in my head came from Him. I can't even imagine God saying "Gabbi, you are not qualified for any of these positions you are applying for so just stop applying". LOL How funny does that sound? We have to make our thoughts line up with Gods. Think about the discouragement that you're facing in your life right now. Are these thoughts anything close to what God would and has said about your situation? If they're not, we should not believe them or feed into them. Why? Because if God did not say it then we can believe the EXACT opposite. 

Philippians 4:8 says

Finally, [a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

·         Are these thoughts confirmed by the word of God like the scripture says, or confirmed by us? Because we are humans and imperfect, our thoughts can be imperfect too. This means they can be full of errors and untruths. But the thoughts of the Lord, are perfect which means they are the only thoughts that are so true that we can count on them.

 How to get out of discouragement?

·         When you’re discouraged, begin to thank God. Reverse your discouragement with thanksgiving before the situation is resolved. No, I don’t mean “Thank you for discouragement, God” LOL but thank Him for what you’re believing Him for, as if it is already here.“Thank you God for providing me a job in a field where I happy, thriving, making more money than I ever have before”. “Thank you God, that my family is completely restored, united, and better than ever.”

 

Our thoughts are capable of lying, but the God we serve is not. Are the thoughts that we are having, that lead to discouragement anything that God would ever say about us? Then it’s a lie.

I promise, you will conquer discouragement.

 

 

-      Gabbing With Gabbi