How Discouragement Can Lead You Deeper

For most of us, life’s greatest challenge isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime tragedy but the relentless, daily discouragements that wear down our souls. A disappointing email, an elusive promotion, chronic pain, or repeated failures to resist temptation these smaller struggles may not overwhelm us at once, but their steady drip can pool into despair.

While sudden disasters may catch us off guard, the steady discouragements of life challenge us to a deeper choice: Will we let them erode our hope, or will we allow God to use them to draw us closer to Him? Here are four truths to help you navigate life’s discouragements with faith and perseverance.

Slow Growth Is Real Growth

Perhaps you feel as though your spiritual growth is painfully slow. Take heart. The New Testament frequently uses agricultural metaphors to describe growth in Christ (e.g., Matthew 13:1–9; John 15:1–9). Just as flowers bloom only after months of changing conditions sunshine and rain, warmth and cold so spiritual growth often feels imperceptible day to day.

The danger isn’t slow growth; it’s giving up the fight to grow. In the economy of the gospel, fighting is winning. The very frustration you feel about your lack of progress is a sign of spiritual life within you.

Remember: God is not impatient with you. He is shaping you for eternity. Growth may feel slow, but it is steady. Your faithfulness in seeking Him today however small it may seem is proof of His Spirit at work in you.

You Already Have Everything You Need

Discouragement often makes us feel like we’re missing something essential for joy or growth. We may think, If I just had that book, that strategy, that resource, then I’d finally overcome this. But Scripture assures us that in Christ, we already have everything we need:

“His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).
“In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him” (Colossians 2:9–10).

When discouragement strikes, the problem is not that we lack resources; it’s that we’ve lost sight of the reality of those resources. Like a billionaire living as a beggar, we sometimes fail to draw on the spiritual riches that are already ours.

Don’t let discouragement convince you that it is your new normal. Cynicism may feel like a safe emotional defense mechanism, but it’s a poor substitute for hope. Instead, ask God to help you rediscover the reality of your union with Christ your adoption, forgiveness, and reconciliation. These truths don’t change, no matter how discouraged you feel.

Christ Is Bigger Than You Imagine

In Prince Caspian, C.S. Lewis describes Lucy’s reaction upon seeing Aslan again:

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”
“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

Spiritual growth is not about reaching the end of Christ but discovering that there is no end to Him. He is infinitely larger, deeper, and more glorious than we can comprehend.

If you feel discouraged, consider that your view of Christ may have grown too small. Perhaps you’ve unknowingly domesticated Him, reducing Him to an abstract idea rather than a living Savior. When you feel like retreating, press further into Him instead.

Collapse into His arms. Wrestle with Him. Pour out your heart to Him. As you rediscover the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8), you’ll find the strength to face life’s discouragements. You don’t need an easier life; you need a bigger Christ.

Heaven Is Just Around the Corner

Finally, remember that this life is not the end of the story. Every discouragement we face now whether mundane or monumental will one day be redeemed and folded into our eternal joy.

“We are perplexed, but not driven to despair” (2 Corinthians 4:8).
“All things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

C.S. Lewis beautifully captured this truth in a letter to a discouraged friend:

“No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes are airing in the cupboard.”

Heaven is nearer now than it was a moment ago. The Lord Jesus walks beside you, His arm around you, guiding you home. When you fall, He lifts you up. When you fail, He offers grace and encouragement.

Every step forward, no matter how small, is a step closer to glory.

The Deeper Way

Discouragement doesn’t have to lead to despair. It can lead you deeper into the reality of your slow but steady growth, into the riches of what you already have in Christ, into a greater vision of His glory, and into the hope of heaven.

The dripping of daily discouragements may feel relentless, but they cannot drown you. Your Savior is bigger than your setbacks, and He will bring you safely home.

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