I keep meaning to talk about these "two" since I, like you, deal with them quite often. Since the devil can't steal your salvation he uses these two to neutralize your productivity. If he can't take you out of the game, he will still try to keep you on the "bench" with your head bowed into your hands.
Many mornings I wake up half awake and totally discouraged from the git-go. If I'm tired or stressed from the day before, the discouragement is usually worse because I'm too tired to fight the feelings.
BUT when my mind is in gear, I fight those feelings and it really works fast...
At the first discouraging thought, even if I am still half asleep, I begin to recite God's promises in my mind..."trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge HIm, and He will direct your path...I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world...faithful is he who call me who will do it..."
I recite these in my mind and any others I can from memory and it's amazing how the discouraging feelings and thoughts start to melt away.
For me stress and discouragement usually comes in pairs... one seems to aid the other. When I see one, I get on my guard since the other is usually not too far away.
As believers we don't need to get under the power of either but I'm sure even the Apostle Paul's discouraging and stressful times were at the heart of many of these wonderful promises I recite in my heart for encouragement. We are comforted to be comforters.
PS. "Stress" deserves another blog all it's own but it's 3:58 pm and I go on the air in a few minutes...so let's save stress for later or else I'll get REAL stressed!
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