The apostle Paul teaches that you need to resist discouragement: “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).

Do you ever get tired of doing what’s right? I think we all do. Sometimes it seems easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing.

When you’re discouraged, you become ineffective. When you’re discouraged, you work against your own faith.

When you’re discouraged, it’s as if you’re saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because of what he said.”

As you consider how well you resist discouragement, ask yourself these questions:

• How do I handle failure?
• When things don’t go my way, do I get grumpy?
• When things don’t go my way, do I get frustrated?
• When things don’t go my way, do I start complaining?
• Do I finish what I start?
• How persistent am I?

If you’re discouraged, it’s time to resist. Don’t give up without a fight. Nothing worthwhile ever happens without endurance and energy.

When an artist creates a sculpture, he has to keep chipping away. He doesn’t hit the chisel with the hammer once, and suddenly all the excess stone falls away, revealing a beautiful masterpiece. He keeps hitting and hitting, chipping away at the stone.

That’s true of life too. Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy. You keep hitting it and going after it, and little by little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace.

The fact is that great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit. The next time you feel discouraged, remember God is with you and God is for you.