Purpose for Everything

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

We've all had times we've been encouraged, and we've all had times we've been discouraged. I used to think discouragement was a bad thing, something I ran into only when I wasn't on the right course in life. But the following section from Chuck Swindoll's book "Hand Me Another Brick" has made me think of discouragement in a different light. Don't get me wrong, I certainly prefer those encouraging times, when things make sense and smiles abound. But much like brokenness and suffering, discouragement may have a role to play in building our faith and increasing our dependance on God:

You might think discouragement is only for those not walking with God. That's not true. Many Christian leaders admit that times of discouragement have often been signals from God announcing a whole new direction and plan. Strange though it may seem, discouragement, brought on by a removal of our tangible securities, can become a catalyst for incredible achievements.

Such was the admission of Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest spokesmen for Christ in the history of the church: "Before any great achievement, some measure of the same depression is very usual...Such was my experience when I first became a pastor in London. My success appalled me; and the thought of the career which it seemed to open up, so far from elating me, cast me into the lowest depth, out of which I uttered my miserere and found no room for a gloria in excelsis. Who was I that I should continue to lead so great a multitude? I would betake me to my village obscurity, or emigrate to America, and find a solitary nest in the backwoods, where I might be sufficient for the things that would be demanded of me. It was just then the curtain was rising on my lifework...This depression comes over me whenever the Lord is preparing a larger blessing for my ministry."

I can find nothing in Scripture to prove this, but I am more convinced than ever that discouragement is nothing more than a barrier Satan erects between great people and great achievements. I wonder how many great triumphs we might have seen but didn't because great people simply lost heart.

Perhaps today you find yourself standing before the door of opportunity or change. Your strength has run out. Your confidence has faded. Your vision has grown dim. You're shaking with fear and you want to retreat to safety. A nagging voice somewhere deep within whispers, "It isn't worth it."

Wait! You may be on the verge of the greatest years of your life. On the other side of that barrier---if you just keep pressing on, doing what you know to be right---the reward of faithfulness awaits you.

I especially liked the part where Spurgeon admits that he often wanted to run to places where he "might be sufficient for the things that would be demanded" of him. In those pivotal moments of life, we will be faced with a choice: rely on our own strength, or take a step of faith and rely on God. Growth only occurs when we rely on God. Oh how I wish I could do that more easily!