The Antidote To Discouragement (A Poem)

It's not what you think

Stefano Ganddini

Jun 14, 2024

Today’s post is going to be a little different.

Instead of sharing a story or reflection, I’m going to share a poem.

This is a poem that I wrote a few months ago, called The Antidote To Discouragement.

The inspiration for this poem came to me unexpectedly one morning, literally waking me up from my sleep.

I believe it was the Holy Spirit.

I was going through a period of intense desolation at the time, and the words in this poem brought much peace to my soul and marked the beginning of a powerful turning point in my spiritual journey.

I hope these words bless you as much as they blessed me.

The Antidote To Discouragement

Are you feeling discouraged?

Set your pride to the side, soften your heart, and see yourself with humble eyes.

As soon as you do, you will realize that the antidote to discouragement is not encouragement, it’s humility.

When you humble yourself, the discouragement will naturally dissolve and encouragement will naturally arise.

You see, discouragement is a result of pride—an excessive love of one’s own excellence, the deadliest of sins, and the cause of the fall of Lucifer himself.

It is only a prideful man who is easily discouraged by his own failures and shortcomings.

It is only a prideful man who believes himself to be superior to such things.

It is only a prideful man who struggles to see his own weaknesses and humanity.

This is why the antidote to discouragement is not encouragement, it’s humility.

Unlike cheesy platitudes and empty affirmations, humility does not deceive you into believing yourself to be better than you are; but it also doesn’t deceive you into believing yourself to be worse than you are, either.

Humility simply gives you the ability to see yourself clearly, as you truly are.

It allows you to see yourself precisely as God sees you.

Flawed? Imperfect? Broken?

Yes, yes, and yes.

A sinner?

Yes.

In need of a Savior?

Absolutely.

And yet, despite all of that, with humble eyes, you will see that you are still loved—perfectly loved, eternally forgiven, and a one-of-a-kind masterpiece made out of love, for love, by love Himself.

Humility is not a superficial attempt to pump yourself up with loud affirmations in the mirror about how great you are while you pound your chest and tell yourself that you’re the absolute best.

No, humility is an honest look in the mirror, an acknowledgment of your shortcomings, a recognition of your insufficiency… and the peace that comes from knowing you are still a beloved child of God.

The peace that comes from knowing that it’s okay to sometimes not feel okay.

The peace that comes from knowing that any greatness that you do possess is entirely a gift from God.

A reflection of God’s inconceivable, divine perfection.

A reminder of Christ’s glorious resurrection.

A demonstration of a crazy, reckless, and unthinkable love that would give itself so fully to the point of crucifixion and death on a cross…

A love that would not let us receive what we deserve, but instead would give us a free gift that we did not deserve.

A love that would pay the price for our own sins, that would fill the gap of our own shortcomings, and that would give us a path to eternal reconciliation with the One who made us.

This is the type of love that says,

“It’s okay to be imperfect.

I love you exactly as you are.

But whenever you’re ready, grab my hand and let me show you who you really are.”

This is the type of love that satisfies the deepest longings of every human heart.

The type of love that ensures that we never lose hope, that we never be discouraged, and that we never be blinded by our own pride.

For if there is one thing that we can learn from the way of the Cross, it’s that the proud will be humbled and the humble will be exalted.

Let’s not forget…

The only man who ever fully embodied perfect divinity was also the only man who ever fully embodied perfect humility.

So I repeat myself once again.

If you’re feeling discouraged…

Set your pride to the side, soften your heart, and see yourself with humble eyes.

Because the antidote to discouragement is not encouragement, it’s humility.

If you enjoyed this poem, consider sharing it with a friend.

Notes For You

Prayer Of The Day

Lord Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.

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