If you are feeling gloomy and discouraged, start serving others who are in need around you. When you do this, God promises to refresh you.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a lesson from Isaiah 58.
John Piper, in his book When the Darkness Will Not Lift, tells the story of Pastor Bill Leslie from LaSalle Street Church in Chicago. Pastor Bill was struggling with burnout and exhaustion, but a friend encouraged him with Isaiah 58:10-11. So Pastor Bill, in all his weariness and discouragement, read this advice from God himself. It says, “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as… noonday… you shall be like a watered garden.” Pastor Bill did not realize it, but he needed to hear those verses. Now, you might say, “Now come on, wait a minute. The man’s burned out, discouraged, near exhaustion, and you say he’s supposed to pour himself out for the hungry and afflicted?” Well, I’m not saying it. The Word of God is. And there’s a good reason for gloomy and depressed Christians to do just that: pour themselves out on behalf of the hungry and afflicted.
Why? Because no matter how much you’re suffering, there is always, always someone in far worse condition than you will ever be. It’s the way our Savior looked at the broken world around him. As hard-pressed as he was, Jesus was all about satisfying the desires of the afflicted. But that’s not all. Isaiah 58:10-11 contain a powerful, life-giving promise. When weary Christians focus on the needs of others who are afflicted and starving for hope, God promises to refresh them. He promises to lift the darkness and gloom. He promises that their light will rise and their hopes will brighten. Best of all, God promises that he himself will refresh them like a watered garden. Yep, that’s right, God wants to do that for people who are discouraged and exhausted!
In a way, it’s the same advice I give other quadriplegics. You can understand that people like me who can’t use their hands and cannot walk, well, they will get discouraged. Their disability will get them down and almost wear them out. There have been many times where my disability makes me want to give up. But to other quadriplegics who feel discouraged, I’ll say, “You know what? I just bet there’s someone out there whose hardships are far worse than ours. There’s someone out there who has it worse than us in our wheelchairs. My job is to help you go find that person so you can pour your life into them, and encourage them, and bless them, and pray for them. Honestly, it’ll do wonders for your soul.” John Piper describes how seasons of darkness can come from too much focus on ourselves. He says, “Unconsciously, we become oblivious and uncaring toward the pain and suffering in the world that is far worse than our own.” Oh, friend, if you find yourself feeling low, or sad, or depressed, please find someone worse off than you are and serve them in whatever way you can.
By the way, that quote I just shared from John Piper is in his short book called When the Darkness Will Not Lift, and I’d love to send you a free copy. If you’re feeling weary or exhausted, depressed, please discover more about God’s promises that chase away the gloom and darkness. Just go to joniradio.org and request your gift. We’ve got limited supplies, so do it today. The gift is called When the Darkness Will Not Lift. Again, supplies are limited, so head to joniradio.org to order your copy, because you know what? I sure do love sharing hope in your hardships, no matter how hard they are. That’s your good word today from Joni Eareckson Tada sharing hope.
© Joni and Friends