DISCOURAGEMENT

DISCOURAGEMENT:
The most effective Tool of the Devil.

The Devil's Garage Sale.
That is why we never give up. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
I heard that the devil once had a garage sale. On the table before him were all the worn out tools he had used for so long. The rusty hammers of harassment and intimidation, the knives of enticement and accusation, the blades of greed and envy-all were laid out with price tags. Lust was expensive, but not nearly as much as gossip. Pride was more than both combined. But one item was priced higher than all the others. It was plain but well worn. A simple tool, like all the rest, yet the cost was much, much greater. "What is this?" asked a customer. "And why is it priced so high?" "Ahh," the devil said, cradling the tool in his bony fingers. "How I cherish this. This is the most effective tool I've ever used. It works when no other item in my bag can do the trick. When lust and envy and greed and sloth fail to do their jobs-when pride can't make a dent-this finishes the job without fail. I have beaten more saints and sinners with this one tool than with all the others on the table." "Well, what is it?" the customer asked in anticipation. "Discouragement," said the devil. I'm sure this parable rings true to you. No matter who you are, you've struggled against Satan's most effective tool, because he wields it often.
The apostle Paul speaks about discouragement in his letter to the Corinthian church: "We are pressed on every side by troubles, ... crushed and broken. We are perplexed ... hunted down. These bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus" (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). Anytime you fight on the side of Jesus, Satan's wrath comes down hard on you. But the advice Paul gives to the Corinthians applies to us all: "Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long .... For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
The key to overcoming discouragement is to allow God to renew us inwardly day by day. And that is done through remaining heavenly minded. By focusing on eternal glory instead of temporal struggles. By letting God replace thoughts of failure with visions of heavenly rewards. You are blessed. Jesus loves you and I do too.