Another thought about discouragement—there are many reasons you might feel down, but don’t forget you’re allowed to question whether the negativity you’re experiencing is really yours in the first place. Sometimes what you’re feeling isn’t from you; when you‘re hearing God’s voice less than the ones around you, you can end up submitting to the mindsets others are projecting as if they were your own. If there’s stress, bitterness, and fear constantly around you, you might eventually believe they’re yours to carry, even going so far as to think it’s God’s will for you. Those burdens can overwrite your true identity, and warp your relationship with God and everyone else.
You are who God says you are. Always. Even in the most difficult, stressful environments—the valleys of shadow—you are the beloved child of God, honored at his table in the wilderness. He’s equipping you to be all he says you are there, and empowering you to hold onto that vision for your life no matter how loudly the world tries to give you another. His authentic voice is making way for yours.
“The Spirit of truth will guide you in understanding and living the reality of the truth I’m imparting to you” (John 16:13a).
Equip Your Spirit 