Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God! – Psalms 42: 11

The more I read Scripture, the more I’m convinced that God was intentional when he gave us the capacity to experience depression and discouragement.

Because David indicated something very profound when he repeatedly expressed his discouragement and sadness:

We can be deeply depressed, anxious, sad, dejected, etc…and still love God.

Reacting in accordance with the unfavorable circumstances of our lives does not mean that we love and trust God any less than the person who is smiling and shouting “Hallelujah!”

It just means we’re in our designated season of long-suffering.

And long-suffering is a fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:22. Verse 23 actually goes a step further and says, “There is no law against these things! [fruits of the Spirit]”

So when we find ourselves in low periods, we shouldn’t shun our emotions, conceal them, or judge ourselves for having them.

We should be like David, who acknowledged his feelings openly without shame and proclaimed his hope in the Lord.

We must understand that there’s a specific purpose for our hardship, discouragement, depression, and suffering:

That is, those things serve to deepen our relationship with God.

Because when we suffer, we learn to endure, and with endurance comes strength of character and hope, and our hope in God will never lead us to disappointment because He loves us (Romans 5: 4-5).

And when others observe our struggles and see the work that God does in our lives, they will be blessed by our triumphs.

In life, we have to accept that we will weep in the night sometimes. There’s no way to escape it.

But with hope and faith, we will experience joy in the morning.

Be blessed,

Alexia

Prayer: God, in my season of grief and long-suffering, be my strength. Help me to process my discouragement and sadness in a healthy way so that I may endure and develop strength of character. Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit and carry me when I can’t carry myself. Teach me to hope in you no matter how low I feel. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.