Demon Discouragement

Here's a sad-looking demon perched on the side of a bridge leading to the new Be My Guest Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World.  I've never understood why statues of demons are used around children or on churches as they so frequently are.  It's just another example of how Satan blinds people into seeing them as innocuous or better yet, as figments of the imagination that are quite harmless, when the exact opposite is true.
 

I'm using this demon statue to represent Discouragement - another negative in the arsenal of evil.  This demon looks sad and pitiful, but don't let him fool you, the real demon of Discouragement's intention is for you to be the one who is sad and pitiful.  He wants you to be the one with a downcast face and equally downcast spirits. 

 

The Demon Discouragement influences us when we take our eyes off God and start looking at what's going on around us.   Sometimes, all I have to do is read the newspaper or watch the news to become sad and discouraged.  There are times I feel like I'm surrounded by sorrow.  Discouragement can be found around almost every corner and if we let it get a grip on us, our sadness can spiral into hopelessness and actually sap our energy. 

 

When Discouragement starts sticking his talons in your business, refuse to let him in.  Instead, use the verse in Philippians 4:8 to lift your eyes to the Lord.  Paul wrote, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report ... meditate on these things."

 

When you power up the positive thinking, the negatives will disappear and as verse 9 says, "...the God of peace will be with you."  Now, that's a very encouraging promise!