Two Great Feelings You Will Fight

Deuteronomy 1:21

Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

Feelings are one of the greatest battles any believer will overcome. Sadly, many live off their feelings, which is why they are so inconsistent in their Christian walk. Those who live off their feelings will serve God when they feel good, but when times get bad, these same people find themselves missing church, not reading God’s Word, discouraged, and complaining about God, their church, and life in general.

God told Israel to fear not, neither be discouraged. God knew these are the two great battles every believer will fight as they walk through their Christian life. God knew Israel would face hard times, and those hard times would cause them to fear, and the hard times would also cause them to get discouraged because they never seem to get over them. God’s statement to fear not, neither be discouraged was a command. In other words, God’s command means they had the wherewithal to choose to overcome these feelings.

Fear and discouragement are the two greatest enemies of victory in the Christian walk. Every person will face fear and discouragement, but that does not mean you have to let them control you. You will fear when you start looking at your own power and abilities. You will get discouraged when you take your eyes off God and place them on your hard times. You must realize that fear is the enemy of faith, and discouragement is the enemy of trust. Let me share several actions you must take to be victorious over these two great feelings.

First, get control of your mind. Most of the battles we face in our Christian walk is in our mind, and that is why we must cast down imaginations. The mind thinks about how bad things are that we face, resulting in fear and discouragement. I only fear because my mind tells me that what I am facing will hurt me. I get discouraged because my mind tells me I will never get through what I am facing. 2 Corinthians 10:5 commands, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; You must get control of your thought life if you are to cast down the imaginations of fear and discouragement.

Second, serve God by duty. I know this sounds mechanical, but you will be more successful by doing right because it is your duty to do than you ever will by serving God by feeling. You must get up and do right despite the fears and discouragement you face. If you obey duty’s commands, you will find the instability that feelings cause will be overcome.

Third, live by faith. Living by faith keeps you moving forward for the Lord, which keeps you too busy to think about what you are facing or how long you have been going through tough times. Discouragement comes when you stop to think about your difficulties. Living by faith means you are so busy trying to reach souls that you don't have time to think about the difficulties. Sitting and thinking about your pain and struggles always brings fear and discouragement. Moving by faith will always take your mind off the difficulties.

Fourth, keep your eyes on God. Spending much time in prayer will help you to see the greatness of God. Prayer is where you receive the courage to live by faith, resulting in overcoming fear and discouragement.