Where To Go?

What do you do when your discouraged? Where do you go?

Every one of us has resources to help us in times of discouragement or trouble. The Christian has two great sources of encouragement: a living relationship with God and the fellowship of other Christians.

Need some encouragement? God is the God of all mercy and comfort.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 2 Corinthians 1:3 (ESV)

Paul refers to suffering and comfort frequently throughout Second Corinthians. In chapter four he reveals some of the emotional and physical struggles he had experienced:

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ESV)

Paul knew firsthand about trials, confusion, discouragement, and persecution. He knew about fear and weakness:

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
(2 Corinthians 1:8 ESV)

"When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia" (2 Corinthians 2:12-13 ESV).

"...our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn— fighting without and fear within" 2 Corinthians 7:5 (ESV).

Where did Paul turn for comfort, help and strength? To "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and all comfort." He turned to the same One Jesus turned to--the Father. Warren Wiersbe writes, “We are precious to the Father and He will see to it that the pressures of life will not destroy us.” (Be Encouraged, page 14)

God is the Father of mercies. All mercy finds its origin in God. Mercies refers to compassionate pity towards someone in need. In Christ, God does not give us what we deserve. Instead, we are recipients of His comfort. The word "comfort" mean "to come alongside to help. God's comfort encourages us to keep going. God's comfort strengthens us. In 2 Cor 4:8 Paul reminds us that we may be afflicted with suffering, but God keeps us from being crushed under the pressure. We may be perplexed, confused and discouraged, but God comes alongside to keep us from utter despondency. We may be persecuted, but we know we are not left alone. We may be beat down, but God's power keeps us from being destroyed. No wonder Paul could praise God.

What do you do when you are discouraged? Where do you go? Let's do what Paul did and go to the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Let's trust the One who loves us and
enables us to overcome.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:32-33, 35-39 ESV)