A vehicle needs a road to travel on; otherwise, it will stall or get stuck. Likewise, a person needs a roadmap—a purpose—to get up and go forward each day. Discouragement is like the mud that traps a car’s traction. Discouragement can come in many forms, such as when things don’t turn out the way we hoped. This is what happened to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ death. They expressed their discouragement in these words: “But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place” (Luke 24:21). The danger with discouragement is that it makes us want to give up.
The truth about discouragement is that it shows us only part of the picture. If we could see the whole picture, we would feel different. In fact, that is precisely what Jesus does with these two disciples when he comes alongside them as an unrecognized stranger to explain the big picture: “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:25-27).
Learning to persevere is not easy, but God expects us to do it. This is what he said to Jeremiah: “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5-6).
God was saying to Jeremiah, “If you can’t handle this, Jeremiah, how do you expect me to entrust you with the great things I have planned for you?” It was a simple illustration, but it communicates volumes to all of us. If you have run in a foot race, Jeremiah, and are exhausted, how do you expect to run with horses? If you stumble on the open flat ground, how do you expect to climb the mountains?
Have you developed a habit of complaining rather than trusting God with your problems? Have you fallen into the habit of seeking sympathy rather than facing the challenges God sends your way? Do you let the little things in life discourage you, preventing you from seeing the big picture? If you complain about the simple routine God has given you, how do you expect Him to provide you with more important tasks? God says, “There is no jumping ship, Jeremiah, just because you feel discouraged. There is no giving up—because I will see you through, but you have to persevere.”
