Samuel 30:6 states, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” When everyone around you is against you, sometimes you have to gird up your loins and support yourself.

In this passage of scripture, the men were angry at David because while they were out at war their camp was raid and their wives, sons, and daughters were taken captive. So naturally David was to blame because he was their leader.  Everyone was against him, they even spoke of killing him.  So in the midst of all of this, David encouraged himself in the Lord.  Therefore, this is an excellent lesson to take from David.  When things get rough, as they often will, you have to encourage yourself.

There are many ways to encourage yourself but I have taken the liberty to mention five below:

1. Pray – Prayer is a great way to encourage yourself because it allows you to release everything that is bothering you.  Take a moment to just go before God in prayer, share with Him all that is bothering you.  Release all your feelings and emotions about the situation to Him.

2. Meditate – Meditation, or the art of being still, does wonder for encouraging yourself because unlike praying, you are taking the time to listen to God, whether it be through the things that are happening around you or that still small voice.  Where in prayer you are talking to God, it is through meditation that He responds.  Take a few minutes to get still and quiet.  Once you began to do this, you will see the many benefits of meditation. You will discover that the answers were inside of you all along.

3. Charity – Share your time, talents, and/or skills with someone or something that can not pay you for your service.  Volunteer at your local food pantry, homeless shelter, hospital, or etc. While giving of your time and talents, you often come into contact with others that share stories far worse than your own.  This helps you to put things into perspective, and it also allows you to be thankful for the things that you do have.  You often leave feeling better than when you started.

4. Dance – Play your favorite song and just dance like no one is watching.  Release all the pain and anxiety about your situation with every move you make. Movement is an excellent way to alleviate tension from stress.  It also allows you not to take yourself or your situation so serious.  When you take a moment to dance, you take your mind off of your problems, and free yourself to move past your situation or circumstance.

5. Comedy – Laughter is great medicine.  Pull up a funny video on YouTube, watch your favorite sitcom, read a funny story, etc. If you have something that makes you laugh, just take a moment to enjoy it.  Oftentimes, comedies also have a hidden message so you never know, while taking a moment to laugh, you may even discover a solution to your problems.

When the world around you turns its back on you, you have to lift yourself out of the pit. When the people you have entrusted in turn their backs on you, utilized one or more of the ways listed above to encourage yourself.  Once you are inspired, you will find that you now have the strength to handle your situation.