How to Encourage Yourself in the Lord

Learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord from David’s life. Hopeless circumstances lead us past ourselves to God—so He can work where we can’t.


Are you ever discouraged? Who am I kidding; we all are at times. And that begs the question, How are we to encourage ourself to get out of that discouragement?

The subject of discouragement came up during our “family service” since our church service had been canceled because of snow and ice. It was really quite precious to see my 10-year-old up in front of the fireplace giving what was the shortest sermon of anyone’s lifetime.

After that, someone asked the question, “Is discouragement a sin?”

My heart did a summersault. Discouragement has been a battle for some months now.

Last January we found out we are expecting baby number four in September, just two weeks after the new blog launch. Severe morning sickness was not my friend, despite medicine and partial bed rest during the first half of the pregnancy to keep it in check. I had to be taken care of again.

Is Discouragement a Sin?

The gray road of the future had gotten me in its clutches, and I wanted to know the answer to this question on discouragement. I hung on every word of the voices of wisdom in the room from my husband, father, and mother.

I learned that no place in the Bible says that discouragement itself is a sin, but if we let it abide in our hearts then it can lead us to a place of sinning.

That’s what I had done. Blamed God for allowing me to go through many awful weeks. When I looked deep in my heart, I owned up that I was mad at Him.

The Father knows that we are flesh and will encounter human trials. He understands what we go through and will even allow trials of our faith to strengthen us.

I learned that He doesn’t want us to get irate with Him, but rather respond by allowing Him to be our source of comfort, strength, and joy.

Maybe that’s why our unpleasant circumstances seem like a hopeless situation. That way, we can see that we are helpless by ourselves. He leads us to Himself, so He can work where we cannot.

Hopeless circumstances lead us past ourselves to God—so He can work where we can't. #ThrivingInChrist Click to Tweet

How Did David Encourage Himself in the Lord?

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:6 KJV

In 1 Samuel chapter 30, we learn that the Amalekites had invaded Ziklag, burned it with fire, and took all the people there captive including David’s two wives. So when David and his men returned and discovered this they all “lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep” (verse 4).

It was no wonder David was “greatly distressed.” Not only were these circumstances thrust into his lap, but the people with him talked about stoning him because they were so upset!

What did David do next?

He encouraged himself in the Lord. (Other versions say “strengthened himself.)

Then he inquired of the Lord if he should go after the Amalekites and beat their tushies. God said to go for it, and that he would get everything back.

And that’s exactly what David did, but if he hadn’t first encouraged himself in the Lord the results could have been entirely different.

4 Ways to Encourage Yourself In the Lord

1. Remember God is who He says He is. He is sovereign and in charge of my life. As long as I have submitted my circumstances to Him, He is the One who is in charge of them.

2. Put your hope in God. (Psalm 42:5) It’s easier to hope in the tangible, like medicine, to see us through. But that’s not where our hope is supposed to rest. Putting your hope in God is a choice, specifically to trust Him with our all.

3. Remember His promises. At times you need to counsel yourself back to correct thinking. He loves me (Jer. 31:3) He died to save me from sin (Jn. 3:16). He cares for me (1Pet. 5:7) He won’t leave me (Heb. 13:5). He will help me (Isa. 41:10). He gives me strength (Isa. 40:29).

4. Choose joy. I am often annoyed hearing this truth when discouraged. “Talk to the hand, you don’t know what I’m going through!” Yet deep down I know that God is more concerned with teaching us to consistently trust in Him and refining our character than He is with erasing our fiery trials. It’s usually the difficult times that lead us to Him. So I have to make a choice to rejoice (Phil. 4:4).

I can testify that these ways are easier said than done. It has taken me months to do this consistently enough that I could crawl out of the hole I was in from the rough pregnancy. I’m grateful to have learned how to encourage myself in the Lord from it all!

What do you do to encourage yourself in the Lord?


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8 Comments

  1. Thank you for this… It’s easy to wallow in discouragement and ruin a perfectly otherwise good day!

  2. Carol Campbell says:

    My dearest Kelly… You are such a blessing to all of us at church, because you are a wonderful example of grabbing hold of the fruit of longsuffering, and letting it help get you thru so you will not be discouraged. This is one fruit everyone runs from, but if we eat of this, it will bring the God-given strength to suffer thru some of our trials even though they are long. Your face radiates the love of Jesus as you sit to lead us in singing in worship with a beautiful smile on your face and the long awaited girlie in your belly. *Ü*

    1. How sweet you are! Love what you said about eating the fruit to receive the strength to get through the trials.

  3. Choosing Joy when we are discouraged is such a battle . I am comforted knowing that I am not alone and can look to the Lord at all times for comfort

    1. kellyrbaker says:

      Yes! His constancy is a great comfort!

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