Bishop's Blog
Harvesters…I’ve said this before, but I wanted you to see that I keep every card, gift, and praise report I receive. Here’s a few photos in one particular area. These go up in these collages in and around my office and places I have meetings. They make up one of many “Walls of Encouragement” and whenever discouragement shows up, I’m reminded of the many lives that God has changed in and through Harvest.
Every pastor, every leader, and every person needs at least one “Wall of Encouragement” so that when discouragement shows up, which it will from time to time, you can instantly be encouraged.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.
It can be easy to be distracted by bills, circumstances, bad relationships, and negative things. When we find ourselves discouraged, it is because of a lack of vision. If you live life like you have nothing to live for, then you’ll perish with an unfulfilled assignment. The King James Version says that “where there is no prophetic revelation, the people cast off restraint.” In other words, vision determines your actions. If you forget that God showed you you’d own your own business, you’ll make bad decisions and “cast of restraint” like you’ll never have it. If you forgot that God showed you that your family will be saved, you’ll stop praying for them and they’ll perish. God allows us to enter places of frustration in order to give us revelation.
If you feel like you are in a stagnant place, that might be a good place to be!! That means God is trying to speak to you and remind you of the vision. Once you get it, write it down. When discouragement comes your way, which it will, you then can go back to what you wrote and say this isn’t what God promised me, so that must mean that I’ve got to keep on pressing on.
1st Samuel 30:6 - And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
Discouragement comes as a result of unmet expectations. If you expected a 3% raise and only received a 1% raise you can become discouraged. But you missed what happened … you still received a raise!! Maybe you wanted a Lexus and got a Honda, but thank God you’re not still catching the bus. We must learn not to allow petty things to discourage us. Put your problems in perspective. When you complain about eating grilled cheese, think of those that don’t even have that to eat. Learn to be happy with where you are and make the most out of it. Courage is the strength and the fortitude to continue pressing forward. To be discouraged means to have misappropriated or misplaced courage. In other words, discouragement is being encouraged to go backward.
Many years ago I remember driving an older vehicle that was in an accident and had severe damage to the front from one of the “flash blizzards” that Colorado can sometimes get. The engine was exposed and the car made annoying noises. Initially, I was discouraged and I was angry, but I had to realize that this was not the end of the world and that soon the car would be fixed and things back to normal. Once I did that, for the days I had the car before it was repaired, opposed to being angry and mad, I drove it around with the sun roof back and my music up. When people looked at me and wondered how I could be joyful when my car looked like something smashed from a Monster Truck show, I smiled and kept myself encouraged - you can do the same!!
