Dealing With a Downcast Soul
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” — Psalm 43:5
The soul consists of the mind, the will and the emotions. According to the above scripture, the soul can become downcast or discouraged, just as it can be joyful and excited. When we’re happy in our souls, we simply enjoy the happiness. When we’re not, we have to deal with our emotions. Discouragement destroys hope, steals our joy, and robs us of our peace. God doesn’t want us to feel anxious or discouraged, which is why it’s important that we learn how to manage discouragement when we feel it. When discouragement tries to overtake us, we can begin to break free from it by examining our thoughts. What we think about and allow to take root in our minds strongly affects our emotions. If we focus on discouraging thoughts, we’ll get discouraged. However, when we change our mindset and begin to think positively, our emotions will improve. Instead of thinking negatively, we can think more like this: “Well, things are going slowly, but, thank God, I’m making progress. I’m on the right path. I had a rough day yesterday, but today is a new day and God is helping me.” As we practice this type of positive thinking, we can defeat discouragement. God will help us to think in ways that will encourage us and give us hope, bringing peace to our souls.
