Discouragement
photo courtesy onestep.life
Among first responders, being discouraged is a common event. Not long after graduating from the police or fire academy, many young first responders soon learn that life is not all unicorns and rainbows. As a result of their profession, they are exposed to those who have been harmed, injured, or dead. They are put into dangerous and life-threatening positions and are the first on-scene to handle difficult situations. So, it is no wonder that soon, some will be coping with discouragement, despair, depression, guilt, and anxiety. In addition, many realize that they are part of a somewhat dysfunctional system, evidenced by divorce, alcoholism, depression, and suicide.
17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:17-18 NIV
The KJV dictionary defines discouragement as:
To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits; to deject; to deprive of confidence.
Fathers, provoke not your children, lest they be discouraged. Colossians 3.
Coming from the root word courage, we lose our desire and focus, motivation, spirit, and courage to move forward when we become discouraged. We are “blue,” depressed, down & out. It projects an attitude of hopelessness and defeat, stealing our time, making us moody and difficult. We become victims of one of the most challenging emotions to overcome.
“The greatest source of discouragement is the conviction that one is unable to do something.” – Maria Montessori, Italian Educator
The nature of our career breeds discouragement. Daily, first responders are subjected to very traumatic events. The stress caused by these events doesn’t just go away at the shift’s end. Unresolved stress can metastasize into other mental health issues. We know from several studies that first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. We are also aware that the first responder suicide rate is 20 percent higher than the general population.
Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. William Ward – Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 18
Discouragement leads to fear, and fear is the stronghold of Satan. Our enemy uses discouragement to defeat us; he makes us feel hopeless, unworthy, and empty. Satan wants us to forget what God has done for us and Christ’s death on the cross.
Discouragement steals the joy from our hearts, causing us to become depressed, angry, and lonely. It drains us of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual strength. While other people may be the cause of discouragement, we often set ourselves up to be discouraged.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV
Like a warning light, being discouraged lets us know we have lost our focus. Self-affirmation, pride, and greed feed our discouragement because we have made ourselves more significant than the mission. Our unchecked sinful attitude cannot be tolerated; discouragement must be fought; we must repent, become humble, and get back on board with God’s plan.
God is a restorer, restoring our hope and dispelling Satan’s lies. God is a healer, healing us physically, mentally, and spiritually. By turning to the bible, by reading God’s word, we learn to re-evaluate our lives; Psalm 119:67 says, “before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word,” and Psalm 119:71 tells us, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.”
As First Responders, we took an oath to protect good and fight evil. Many have lost track of their priorities and have put the job first in their lives. If you are experiencing lower than usual sense of self-worth, depression or misplaced guilt, inability to specifically remember or talk about the trauma, feeling numb emotionally, dissociation (not aware of the present moment), a feeling of disconnection from their everyday lives, feeling hyper-aroused and vigilant for danger all the time, lashing out in irritability or unexplained anger, feeling jittery, or unable to concentrate on tasks at hand or other anxiety disorders, such as panic or intense distress, talk to someone and get help. Get back to the basics. Put God First, Family Second, and the job further down in the order.
The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say,
‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’
Billy Graham
IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE, GET HELP NOW
Law Enforcement Copline (800) 267-5463
Firefighters / Medics Fire/EMS HELPLINE (800) 731-FIRE (3473)
Well done bro. Stay the course.