I thought it was an interesting point Selwyn makes: “A lot of work has been done in recent years on discouragement, revealing that it sometimes has a physical cause. If a person is discouraged for a considerable period, it may be because of poor sleeping habits, a chemical imbalance, a physical infection or an inadequate diet. Of course you would pray with a discouraged person, but if there is no subsequent change, encourage them to have a medical check-up.”
It has been widely reported that men often ignore the physical signs of illness, that somehow, whatever it is, will go away. Therefore, what Selwyn says is worth considering especially if the person has not had a medical check-up for a fair, length of time. Our mental sense of well-being is affected by the state of our physical health, and the changes to our body may be happening slowly, and not so obvious to us. Yet, it may be easily picked-up during a medical examination. We are called to be good stewards of the resources that God provides; that includes our health, both physical and mental.
I also liked Selwyn’s conclusion: “Discouraged people need more than anything else, to find a new perspective on life, and this can often come from a caring friend who lovingly challenges and help change the discouraged person’s assumptions and ways of thought. You could be that friend.”
Perhaps discouragement arises from high and unreasonable expectations not being met, and may be seen when the person feels they have failed in some way or other. It could be that they are depending too much on their own abilities and not looking towards Jesus for help – with the confidence that His love will act in a way, that will produce good fruit, even if we can’t see the harvest, at the time. It’s complete trust in His love, that He is a perfect Father, who hears our calls for help, and will always assist us in the best possible way. Do you agree?
Meeting discouragement
I thought it was an interesting point Selwyn makes: “A lot of work has been done in recent years on discouragement, revealing that it sometimes has a physical cause. If a person is discouraged for a considerable period, it may be because of poor sleeping habits, a chemical imbalance, a physical infection or an inadequate diet. Of course you would pray with a discouraged person, but if there is no subsequent change, encourage them to have a medical check-up.”
It has been widely reported that men often ignore the physical signs of illness, that somehow, whatever it is, will go away. Therefore, what Selwyn says is worth considering especially if the person has not had a medical check-up for a fair, length of time. Our mental sense of well-being is affected by the state of our physical health, and the changes to our body may be happening slowly, and not so obvious to us. Yet, it may be easily picked-up during a medical examination. We are called to be good stewards of the resources that God provides; that includes our health, both physical and mental.
I also liked Selwyn’s conclusion: “Discouraged people need more than anything else, to find a new perspective on life, and this can often come from a caring friend who lovingly challenges and help change the discouraged person’s assumptions and ways of thought. You could be that friend.”
Perhaps discouragement arises from high and unreasonable expectations not being met, and may be seen when the person feels they have failed in some way or other. It could be that they are depending too much on their own abilities and not looking towards Jesus for help – with the confidence that His love will act in a way, that will produce good fruit, even if we can’t see the harvest, at the time. It’s complete trust in His love, that He is a perfect Father, who hears our calls for help, and will always assist us in the best possible way. Do you agree?