You know the story…you close your computer despondently after scrolling through social media and checking your bank account balance. You might be looking at your life, thinking, “What happened? I had dreams and goals, and just look at me now.” So you grab your keys and head out to get fast food to take your mind off of everything. Discouragement may be trying to attach itself to you as you look at your life compared to the lives of others, and in this day and age it can be so easy to see the best of everyone else’s stories and be painfully aware of the worst in your own. The more you meditate on that discouragement and on the lies that the enemy brings to you, the more you will begin to accept the feeling of unworthiness and draw back from the Spirit of God, forfeiting the blessing of close fellowship with your Maker. Let me give you some good news: you were made for fellowship, and your Father desires that you be close to Him. The Word tells us that as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). More good news is this: nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:38), and if you know how much you’re loved, then you will be restored to a place of FAITH! Faith in your heart will bring you back to encouragement and hope about your future, and as you speak out words of faith, your life will begin to turn around in every way! Meditate on the Word of God more than you do on comparing your life to others, and watch as the deepest goals and dreams in your heart begin to come to pass. You are loved!
Ashley Steinberg, February 24, 2017