Pearl Girls: Guest Blogger ... Pat Ennis

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Guest Blogger ... Pat Ennis

Detonating Discouragement

What do you mean when you speak of God answering your prayers? Most often do you really mean that He said “yes” to your petitions? One of the most challenging lessons for a Christian woman to learn is that “yes,” “no,” and “wait” are all responses to her requests.

What is your reaction when you earnestly pray that a situation will have a specific outcome, and the response from your heavenly Father is no or wait? Do you believe that there is no good thing that He will withhold from you if you are walking uprightly (Psalm 84:11) and focus on your responsibility of walking uprightly; or are you like Elijah when he fled from Jezebel to the wilderness, sat under a juniper tree, and wished to die (1 Kings 19:4)? The woman who chooses the response aligned with Psalm 84:11 embraces contentment, while the one who opts for an Elijah Effect is courting discouragement.

Discouragement, extracted from the Greek word athumeo, means to be disheartened, dispirited, and discourage;[1] it frequently occurs when there is a discrepancy between expectation and fulfillment. As an emotion, discouragement’s roots are frequently planted in the soil of unrealistic expectations. The greater the discrepancy between hope and fulfillment, the greater the potential for discouragement—and in many instances the resulting emotion of discouragement is actually anger without enthusiasm. You know from Scripture that anger for a selfish reason is sin (Psalm 4:4; Ephesians 4:32). An analysis of Elijah's life (1 Kings 19:1-22; 2 Kings 2:1-10) provides us with biblical guidelines for detonating discouragement.

Elijah emerged from his experience at Mount Carmel a victor—the 450 false prophets of Baal were destroyed, and the calamity of drought and famine brought about by idol worship ended (1 Kings 18:18-46). Regrettably, Jezebel did not share his enthusiasm over the victory—in fact, she was very angry (1 Kings 19:1-2)! Instead of surrendering, as Elijah expected, she issued an ultimatum to him, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time” (1 Kings 19:3). Elijah’s response is similar to that of many Christian women—they observe God perform repeated miracles in their lives—then a bit of minor turbulence occurs and the downward spiral of the Elijah Effect sets in:

· The cycle of fear of others or specific circumstances begins (1 Kings 19:1-2).

· The logical reaction is to run from the problem (challenge), as opposed to facing it head-on (1 Kings 19:3).

· Rather than meditating on God’s faithfulness, faulty negative thinking begins (1 Kings 19:4).

· The faulty negative thinking is fanned by emotional and physical fatigue which frequently produces discouragement (1 Kings 19:5-9).

· Further faulty negative thinking yields false expectations and unrealistic attitudes regarding the responsibilities God calls one to assume (1 Kings 19:10).

· These false expectations and unrealistic attitudes can lead to the cultivation of self-pity(1 Kings 19:14).

An intervention for the downward spiral of Elijah Effect must be applied for it to begin the reversal process—in Elijah’s case, as in ours, the intervention cycle to renew his spirit included:

· Resting and relaxing—too many times when the Elijah Effect begins women increase their activity rather than reduce it (1 Kings 19:5-9).

· Seeking solitude to focus on communion with God (1 Kings 19:9-13).

· Using the Word of God as a sword to fight the source of discouragement, Satan (Ephesians 6:17).

· Realizing that refreshment comes through resuming activity since it allows us to focus our vision outward rather than “soaking and souring.” Balancing the quantity of time invested and the intensity of the activity will ensure that the Elijah Effect does not recur (1 Kings 19:15-18).

· Allowing friends to minister to us (Proverbs 17:17). What blessings would Elijah and Elisha have been deprived of had either refused to accept God's friendship provision ?

As you consider Elijah’s life, are you a woman who chooses the Elijah Effect or embraces contentment when faced with circumstances that could breed discouragement? Remember that godliness with contentment is great gain (Psalm 37:16; 1Timothy 6:6) while despair plus discouragement equals spiritual disaster and purpose to detonate discouragement as you multi-task!

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We are excited to celebrate Pat's latest book release of Becoming A Young Woman Who Pleases God with her. You can purchase a copy HERE. She has graciously offered a copy to giveaway. Please leave a comment and we will choose a random winner next week.

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Pat Ennis

taught Home Economics for the San Diego Unified School District while developing the Home Economics Department at Christian Heritage College. She moved to The Master’s College in 1987 to establish the Home Economics-Family and Consumer Science Department that she currently chairs. Pat authored Precious in the Sight of God, the Fine Art of Becoming a Godly Woman, and co-authored Becoming a Woman Who Pleases God, A Guide to Your Biblical Potential, Designing a Lifestyle that Pleases God , and Practicing Hospitality, the Joy of Serving Others. Her new book, Becoming a Young Woman Who Pleases God is due for a September release. You can visit her on her blog at www.masters.edu/Blogs/unfadingbeauty/

If you are interested in participating in Pat's research about God’s special instructions for women, click on the following links to compete the surveys.

My Perceptions on Homemaking Survey

What is Your Feminism Quotient? Survey