Did you ever have an experience like
this? You set out on some new activity energized by the exciting expectations of the good things that will result? You may have begun a vacation, visited a relative, hired a new employee, taken on a new project, or launched a new product. Your mind naturally thinks about the result and creates expectations: The vacation is going to be glorious; the visit will be fun and fulfilling, the new employee will immediately contribute, etc.
And then, alas, the expectations weren’t fulfilled, the actual results weren’t up to your expectations, and you end up discouraged.
And because you are discouraged, you question your value. “Do you really have the talent to make something like this happen,” you wonder. You cast a shadow over your relationship
with God. “Does He even know I’m here. How could He let this happen?” Your energy and creativity wither and you spend some time sitting on the sidelines of the next opportunity.
Discouragement must be one of Satan’s primary tools. By generating discouragement in the hearts of Christians he effectively places them on the bench in the great contest between Satan and
God. It like soccer – bench a couple of your best players and the team is less likely to win.
