Dealing with Discouragment through Song

Dealing with Discouragement through Songs

Introduction: We see a lot of things in this world that could discourage us. The society we live in has openly accepted abortion, homosexuality, and easy divorce. Children grow up in single parent homes or sometimes even end up raising themselves. Crime rates are at their highest and politics are corrupt to the very core. Although these things could be discouraging for anyone, to Christians they can be even more so. We are trying to live our lives as God intended, yet are ridiculed, belittled, and rarely taken seriously by those we try to influence. And even within the church there can be problems. Personality differences and doctrinal issues pop up all the time. I want to look at how some songs that we sing can help us deal with discouragement. I think so often we just sing the songs we know and sometimes don’t even know which song we sang last. We don’t pay attention to the words as much as we should. We need to make sure that we pay attention to the message of the song. 1 Corinthians 14:15- “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also”.

1. The first song to look at is Faith of our Fathers.

Faith of our fathers, living still, In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;Oh, how our hearts beat high with joyWhene’er we hear that glorious Word!
Refrain:Faith of our fathers, holy faith!We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our fathers, we will strive,To win all nations unto thee;And through the truth that comes from God,We all shall then be truly free.
Faith of our fathers, we will love, Both friend and foe in all our strife;And preach thee, too, as love knows how, By kindly words and virtuous life.

Remember those who went before us. If you read Hebrews 11:35-38, you can see that Christians have never had an easy life. We are blessed to live in a country that for now, does not allow this kind of persecution to occur to Christians. In II Corinthians 11:23-27, Paul recounts many of the trials he faced while preaching the gospel. Yet in the end he was able to say “I have kept the faith.” We will probably never face the same persecution that the early Christians faced, yet they remained steadfast. We should remember their fortitude and count our blessings.

2. Count Your Blessings

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,Count your many blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Refrain:Count your blessings, name them one by one,Count your blessings, see what God hath done!Count your blessings, name them one by one,*Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.[*And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.]
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,And you will keep singing as the days go by.
When you look at others with their lands and gold,Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;Count your many blessings—wealth can never buyYour reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,Do not be discouraged, God is over all;Count your many blessings, angels will attend,Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Think about the good in your life and do not focus on the bad. This song means a lot to me because of what it meant to my great grandmother. My great grandfather built roads and had to move around a lot. To keep the family together they had a tiny travel trailer that they pulled on the back of their car. My great grandparents raised 3 children in that tiny trailer. He wasn’t a Christian during the early part of their marriage yet she never missed taking the kids to worship God. My grandmother tells us that she remembers her mother singing this song all the time. My great grandmother knew that even when things seemed really tough, she had her family together and she was very blessed. That always made an impression on me. We need to focus on the good things in our life and not what is going wrong. If you think hard enough, you will always be able to come up with some way in which God has blessed you.

3. God’s Family

We're part of the family, that's been born again, Part of the family, whose love knows no end, For Jesus has saved us, and made us His own, Now were part of the family, that's on it's way home

Chorus:And sometimes we laugh together, Sometimes we cry, Sometimes we share together, Heartaches and sighs, Sometimes we dream together, Of how it will be, When we all get to heaven, God's family

Verse:And tho some go before us...we’ll all meet again.Just inside the city...as we enter in.There'll be no more parting...with Jesus we’ll beTogether forever, God's family

One of the ways we are blessed as Christians is that we are never alone. Ephesians 3:15 refers to Christians as family. As the song indicates, family sticks together. We rejoice with each other. We help each other through problems and cry together. Even if you are facing difficult times, you can lean on other Christians. We are in this together. We are the family of God and we should act like it. As family, we should be there for each other, doing what we can to help by giving advice, just listening, and especially praying.

4. Did You Think to Pray

Ere you left your room this morning,Did you think to pray?In the name of Christ our Savior,Did you sue for loving favor,As a shield today?
Refrain:Oh, how praying rests the weary!Prayer will change the night to day;So when life seems dark and dreary,Don’t forget to pray.
When you met with great temptation,Did you think to pray?By His dying love and merit,Did you claim the Holy SpiritAs your guide and stay?
When your heart was filled with anger,Did you think to pray?Did you plead for grace, my brother,That you might forgive anotherWho had crossed your way?
When sore trials came upon you,Did you think to pray?When your soul was bowed in sorrow,Balm of Gilead did you borrowAt the gates of day?

Never underestimate the power of prayer. Ephesians 5:16 says “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. Matthew 26:36-44 records Jesus prayer when he was faced with the most agonizing night before his crucifixion. Jesus knew the power of praying to his father. How can we take such a blessing for granted? As the song says, prayer can build a shield against temptation, help us remain calm in a crisis, and comfort us when it seems like nothing else can.

5. Trust and Obey

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,What a glory He sheds on our way!While we do His good will, He abides with us still,And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:Trust and obey, for there’s no other wayTo be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,But His smile quickly drives it away;Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,Can abide while we trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,But our toil He doth richly repay;Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,But is blessed if we trust and obey.
But we never can prove the delights of His loveUntil all on the altar we lay;For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,Are for them who will trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;Never fear, only trust and obey.

When all else seems to fail, simply trust and obey. When you can’t seem to beat the discouragement, when you don’t understand why things are happening the way they are, when you have no idea what is around the next corner, just trust God and obey Him. In II Corinthians 1 Paul and Timothy write about having a very hard time in Asia. Verse 8 says “we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life”. Yet they mention God’s comfort and deliverance during difficult times. They trusted in Him no matter what. When we let go of our fears and our worries and just trust God to take care of us, we can truly have peace.