Some days discouragement knocks on the door and then floods in, before we hardly realize it. Here are some thoughts for those times when we battle disappointment, disillusionment, or feelings of failure in spite of giving our all.

The devil loves to come marching in and start feeding us lie upon lie when we are discouraged. We need to combat those destructive lies by intentionally turning on voices of truth in our lives.

Maybe listening to the wrong voices has led to the discouragement. Maybe not. But since it’s best not to spend time on self-analysis during phases of discouragement, we should just immediately start listening to the right voices. We have to do this deliberately. Pour in some truth!

We are, by and large, a product of the voices we listen to. And voices are everywhere today. Facebook, the news, books, Instagram, radio, TV, music, church, Pinterest, friends, family, co-workers, Twitter, podcasts, and the list goes on.

Don’t forget this voice– the one inside your head. When you’ve fallen into the muddy pit of discouragement, do not listen to this voice. Most likely the voice you hear in your head at that point is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is there, for the child of God, but in order for His still small voice to be heard, the voices of self-pity, anger, bitterness and doubt must be turned off.

Start with a prayer: “Lord, please direct me to the truth I need to hear today.” Then, deliberately put yourself in a place to hear and internalize truth. A godly podcast, a book full of rich spiritual truth, a trusted mature Christian, your loving husband (and yes, please do listen to him– God has put him in your life to offer you wisdom and truth), godly uplifting music, and time in God’s precious Word. God can use all these things and more to lift you up out of the discouragement pit.

Choosing the right voices is key. Music of praise to God crowds out self-pity. F.B. Meyer offers deeper truth than Twitter. The perspective of God’s Word overcomes the perspective of Fox News. Your husband has better ideas than Pinterest to help you face your daily challenges. Your pastor’s words are of far more value than those of Oprah or Osteen. That godly, older lady has more wisdom for you than the latest glitzy self-help book, magazine, or blog.

Praise the Lord for the voices of truth that are available to us. Let us search them out, open our hearts, and let the truth pour in!♥