During the Boer War (1899-1902), a man was convicted of a very unusual crime. He was found guilty of being a “Discourager”. The South African town of Ladysmith was under attack, and this traitor would move up and down the lines of soldiers who were defending the city and do everything he could to discourage them. He would point out the enemy’s strength, the difficulty of defending against them, and the inevitable capture of the city. He didn’t use a gun in his attack. It wasn’t necessary. His weapon was the power of discouragement.

Discouragement is opposite of faith. Faith says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Discouragement puts doubt in my mind and undermines my faith in Christ.

What has discouraged you lately?

Tags: encouragement, words