Bad days can come quickly. Discouragement over bad days comes even quicker. And some people have the notion that Christians are never supposed to be depressed. After all, they will argue, Paul said to, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). But the same apostle said by inspiration on another occasion that he and his companions were “burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8).

Have you been there? You’re not the only one. And doesn’t it seem that those times come at the moment you think you’ve got life figured out? Just when all of the pieces of the puzzle start fitting together, that’s usually when disaster strikes from some unexpected source and pulls the rug right out from underneath your feet.

It happened to Paul. It happened to Moses. It happened to Elijah and Jeremiah and David. Has it happened to you? You’re in good company. The question, then, is not why are you discouraged? Even these great Bible characters experienced emotions of depression and despair. The question is what are you doing about it? That’s what separates those who overcome discouragement from those are overcome by it.

When bad days come and stay, we do some strange things to try to help get through them. Unfortunately, they only succeed in making matters worse. See if you’ve been here before?

Pay less attention to prayer. How is it that in times we ought to be praying more, we pray less? Our schedules are so filled, our spirits so oppressed, our problems so complicated that we shut the Lord out when we need Him the most. Even when we have experienced the power of answered prayer in the past, how He can change the night to day, we just can’t find the time to take it to the Lord in prayer.

You want to know how Moses and Elijah and Jeremiah and David and Paul got through their difficulties? They prayed about them. They expressed themselves to God. They poured out their hearts to Him. It’s what brings the “peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension” (Phil. 4:7). Prayer works. Put it to work in your life.

Don’t worry with worship. Have you ever heard this conversation before? “We’ve been missing you at the services and just wanted to know if there was any way we could help.” “Well,” comes the reply, “I’ve got a lot of things going on in my life right now that I need to fix. Once those are in order, I’m going to start coming back to church.” That’s all backwards. The fact is, you can’t get life straightened out without turning it over to the Lord.

“Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Heb. 10:24-25). That tells us that worship is supposed to be a stimulating activity, something that is encouraging. Just what you need when you’re discouraged. When you give God what is His in worship, you will be built up and ready to face the challenges that are ahead. When you forsake the assembly because of depression, you forsake the opportunity to get over it.

Isolate rather than assimilate. When was the last time you thought to yourself, “I’m feeling a little down, I better go surround myself with people who love me.” We do just the opposite. We retreat to our corner, curl up in a little ball and say, “Woe is me! No one understands what I am going through.” How is that going to help?

The Scriptures tell us to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). That suggests that life is filled with burdens that at times seem unbearable. So we must rely on the strength and experiences and wisdom of one another if we are going to make it. We need each other. Facing your problems all by yourself does not make you brave or courageous. It only makes lonelier the lonely.

Bad days will come again. Godly people may be discouraged by them, but they don’t give in to discouragement. They give more and give all. And they look forward to a place that promises rest and better days ahead.