The pressures, the deadlines, the boredom, the difficult people, and the impossible boss: sometimes all of this swirls around us all at once. It’s a common story. I hear it on a regular basis. One or all of these or something else entirely can join forces and suck the life out of us at work. Let’s take a look at how we might be able to avoid the work place discouragement malady that all of us confront on a fairly regular basis.
At the core, when we really think about discouragement and discover what really happens, we find that discouragement really is an “interpretation” problem. Yes, there are some circumstances and events that can trigger discouragement. But often the situation doesn’t change or at least doesn’t change significantly and yet our discouragement factor can rise or fall without much provocation. In fighting discouragement, our primary weapon is the truthful interpretation of our situation.
You see, when we face painful events, hurtful people, setbacks, or anything negative, we are tempted to process those in a way that will lead us into discouragement and despair. Always, but especially in those circumstances that have the potential to plummet us into discouragement it is critical that we keep our focus on the truth. The truth is that if we are Christ followers, there is some One (Jesus Christ) who defines us, not our circumstances. It is not our circumstances but who we are in Christ that is the defining reality of our lives! Let’s seek to always hold foremost in our mind that there is a Kingdom among us and the Kingdom is what gives meaning to our lives. Our place in this Kingdom, the one that God rules is the ultimate and permanent reality. Our place in this Kingdom as beloved children of God himself is what defines us!
The guy who wrote Psalm 121 got this. In the midst of all his trouble, he kept focused on the over-riding reality of his status as one who will be “kept” by God. Psalm 121:7-8 states “The LORD will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
This week read the entire Psalm 121 in a couple of different versions. Let it do a tune up on your “life interpretation."
Take this to work this week!
Tuesday, July 27, 2004. This week’s WorkLife Toolbox written by Ed Noble, Teaching Pastor – Journey Community Church, San Diego CA, JourneyatWork.org
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