HOW TO OVERCOME DISCOURAGEMENT (1)

‘I looked things over.’ Nehemiah 4:14 First, find a better way. While rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah said, ‘I looked things over.’ Realising there were enemies to be defeated and obstacles to be overcome, he ‘stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows’ (v. 13 NIV). In order to overcome discouragement, Nehemiah realised they’d have to start doing things differently. They needed a new system. So he organised the people according to their gifts and strengths. Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for different results. And there’s wisdom in that. When you get discouraged, don’t give up on your goals. Instead, devise a new approach! Question: was it wrong for the Jews to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem? No, they were just going about it in the wrong way! There’s a lesson here for us all. For example, do you have a problem in your marriage? Don’t give up; try a new attitude. Do you have a problem in your business? Don’t throw in the towel; look for a new approach, reorganise your schedule, and refocus on your goal. Have you ever heard of the 80/20 principle? That’s where 80 per cent of your time is spent on the 20 per cent of activities that aren’t productive and, as a result, you get frustrated. What you need to do is devote 80 per cent of your time to the 20 per cent that produces the highest results. Business managers call this ROI time – ‘return on investment’. So practise devoting the majority of your time and energy to the things you know bring results.