Temptation tries to blind us to other possibilities. A business man driving home from work one day saw a little league baseball game in progress. He decided to stop and watch. He sat down in the bleachers and asked a kid what the score was. “We’re behind 14 to nothing,” he answered with a smile.

“Really,” he responded. “I have to say you don’t look very discouraged.”

“Discouraged?” the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. “Why should we be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet.”

Discouragement is an emotion that we all encounter. The best way to overcome this emotional struggle is to think positive – be proactive in you thinking and actions. Friends, God does not want us to be discouraged – His message is: “Be of good cheer” (Mat. 14:27). Be positive! Think positive! Act positive!

We can be positive because we have the promise of God: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). We can be positive because we can use these discouragements as bridges: “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel” (Phil. 1:12). We can be positive because discouragement is only temporary: “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psa. 30:5). We can be positive becase God has given us the ability to endure: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). And finally, we can be positive because we have access to the power of prayer: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6).

Think About It!