• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • FaceBook
  • RSS Feed
  • Get Published
  • Book Proposals
  • Book Business
  • Writing Craft
    • Conferences
    • Copyright
    • Craft
    • Creativity
    • Grammar
  • Fun Fridays
Home » Theology » Page 13

Theology

The Danger of Discouragement

By Karen Ballon April 12, 2017
Share
Tweet
45

Some days, I have to admit, it feels like I’ve been working and working, doing everything I’m supposed to, and yet, nothing ever changes—unless it’s for the worse. The struggles are still dragging me down. The sense that no matter what I do, nothing will change, weighs on my spirit. It’s days like that when the questions start…

What’s wrong with me that I can’t get anywhere?

How can I be losing ground with everything I’m doing?

What made me think anyone would want to read what I have to say?

Why can’t I do better?

Why do I even try?

And on and on the litany of discouragement goes, chipping away, leaving me off-balance and frustrated.

Have you been there? Are you there even now? If so, know this: you’re not alone. Discouragement is a far-too-frequent companion for writers. One that, no matter how we try to avoid it, sneaks in and weasels its way into our hearts and minds. It’s then, when discouragement crawls through us, undermining our confidence and whispering defeat and surrender, that we fall into the danger of giving up. Of deciding we heard wrong, that God didn’t really ask us to write for him, or that He—dare we even think it?—made a mistake.

But while we may not be able to completely avoid the whispers of discouragement, we can silence them. Not with any weapon of our own, but with the most powerful weapons in our inner arsenal: prayer and Scripture.

The next time discouragement sidles up to you, whispering its poison, stop. I mean it, stop cold. Right then and there, pray. Rip your focus from yourself, from your struggle or failures or whatever is eating at you, and fix it on the One who gave you the task to write. Seek His face. And then draw on His Words. Let them sink deep into your heart. Embrace the truth in them, because those words are your secret weapon. They are so much more than just words on a page, friends. They are “alive and powerful… sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. [They] expose our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Grace and help to face down and defeat:

Writers Obstacle #4: Discouragement

Deuteronomy 31:8–The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Micah 7:8–Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.

Isaiah 41:17-18–“The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.

Luke 12:24–Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

Romans 15:4 – Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

1 Corinthians 15:58–So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10–“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Colossians 2:2—I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself.

1 John 5:18-21—God’s Son holds [you] securely, and the evil one cannot touch [you]. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

 

Leave a Comment
Category: The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Discouragement, The Writing Life, Theology

Tell the Truth

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 6, 2017
Share
Tweet
22

I’m writing this post because of inspiration provided by comments from my readers. Thank you, readers! Recently I blogged about seasoning our words with salt. If you haven’t read the comments on that blog, I recommend you do because they are insightful and uplifting. That post referred mainly to social media, but this post applies to all parts of life, and even to some fiction. For example, …

Read moreTell the Truth
Category: Social Media, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Career, The Writing Life

Writing the Deeper Story

By Dan Balowon March 21, 2017
Share
Tweet
10

I realize this will probably date me, but I sincerely enjoyed a popular radio feature by Paul Harvey called, “The Rest of the Story.” I assume some reading this post today also remember it. For generations, the venerable radio commentator, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 90, told a little known story about a well-known person or event, only revealing the subject of the story at the end of …

Read moreWriting the Deeper Story
Category: Craft, Creativity, Encouragement, Inspiration, Marketing, TheologyTag: Inspiration, Writing Craft

Amnesia: The Key to Success

By Dan Balowon February 28, 2017
Share
Tweet
16

At some point, anyone involved in motivational or inspirational communication will touch on the necessity of leaving the past behind and moving on from a painful experience or time of life in order to grow personally or professionally. Millions of people spend billions of dollars each year on counselors helping them overcome past issues in their lives. For Christians, leaving a past behind through …

Read moreAmnesia: The Key to Success
Category: Encouragement, Faith, Inspiration, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Failure, Inspiration, Success, The Writing Life

If Christmas Was Fiction, It Would Make No Sense

By Dan Balowon December 20, 2016
Share
Tweet
1

When I have been part of a Bible study or discussion group, I am often affected deeply by the flawed nature of every human discussed in Scripture, except for the God/Man who came at Christmas. In a sense, it is base-level proof of the truthfulness and reliability of the Bible. The Bible as pure propaganda certainly wouldn’t include sordid tales of our predecessors screwing up more than they …

Read moreIf Christmas Was Fiction, It Would Make No Sense
Category: TheologyTag: Christmas, Theology

Christian Criticism

By Dan Balowon December 13, 2016
Share
Tweet
21

Most agents to the Christian publishing world represent a variety of authors from a wide spectrum of theological thought, so we understandably have a little more forgiving attitude than others about differences between fellow believers. There is one type of book I have always felt uncomfortable representing…one which criticizes a certain theological stand, a particular church group or even a …

Read moreChristian Criticism
Category: Book Proposals, TheologyTag: Theology

Getting Ready to Give Thanks

By Karen Ballon November 23, 2016
Share
Tweet
26

No doubt about it, it’s been a tough year. In publishing. In politics. In our nation. In our world. There are so many things to worry about, to be frustrated about, even to fear. And yet… God is. Whoever runs the country…God is. Whatever personal or professional trials you face…God is. However discouraging circumstances may be…God is. Whatever is happening… GOD. IS. As we prepare to celebrate …

Read moreGetting Ready to Give Thanks
Category: Personal, TheologyTag: Faith, Personal, Theology

Lessons from a Crab

By Karen Ballon November 16, 2016
Share
Tweet
23

No, the title isn’t talking about a grouchy person. It’s about a real, live crab. One that I encountered one day on the Oregon coast as I walked along the beach. It was early morning, with the rising sun streaming across the vast water, the glory of the sunrise reflected in the wet sand. I’d gotten a little to close to the surf as it came in, and since I hadn’t rolled up my pants legs, I had to …

Read moreLessons from a Crab
Category: The Writing Life, TheologyTag: The Writing Life, Theology

How Do You See God?

By Karen Ballon November 9, 2016
Share
Tweet
14

I love going to the Oregon coast. love the power and beauty and sense of God’s creative genius that surrounds me when I’m there.  Ever since I was little, I’ve looked on the ocean as a friend, even played tag with the water as it came in, daring it to wash over my bare feet, running when it got close, laughing when it caught me. (Yes, I still do this.) Recently, though, while at the coast, I was …

Read moreHow Do You See God?
Category: The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Faith, The Writing Life, Theology

Prayer is Not a Transaction

By Steve Laubeon October 10, 2016
Share
Tweet
24

Recently I was teaching on Luke 18:1-5 (verses are below) about the parable of the persistent widow and developed some thoughts that might be pertinent for you today. In our world, commerce is based on the idea of a transaction. I give you something (like money) and you give me something in return (like a service or a product). We are immersed in this concept. Give=Get. The world treats prayer in …

Read morePrayer is Not a Transaction
Category: TheologyTag: Prayer, Theology
  • Previous
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 11
  • Page 12
  • Page 13
  • Page 14
  • Page 15
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 18
  • Next
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · The Steve Laube Agency · All Rights Reserved · Website by Stormhill Media