BLACK CLOUD OF GLOOM!
Jeanette Berry, September,
1975
I have a personal classification of my husband's sermons,
"Really Good", "Great", and "Classic",---meaning it should go down
in history! In all the years I've been married to him I have
never heard him preach a dud. Not long ago he preached on
the subject, "What Happens When A Preacher Gets Discouraged."
A discouraged preacher says the wrong thing, does the wrong thing,
and several other good points, using Elijah as the example.
It was great.
It brought to my mind that the same thing happens when the
preacher's wife gets discouraged. A black cloud of gloom and
despair hides the radiance and joy of God within her. It
comes to all of us at some time or the other. To be
forewarned is to be forearmed, as my mother used to tell me.
I could very piously tell you to pray, but you know too well
that your prayers seem to get no higher than your head.
Often you are too discouraged to think that prayer will help.
You may be tempted to pour out your troubles to the first person
that appears the least interested. DON'T! You may give
ammunition to someone that will later use it against you, or
perhaps make for some juicy gossip for weeks to come. It
could even hurt the testimony of your church and hurt your
husband's ministry. Your husband may be sympathetic, but
really doesn't know what to do with you. In fact, you don't
know what to do with yourself.
Try having a good heart-to-heart talk with yourself. Ask
yourself such questions as, "When did this mood start? Are
you jealous, selfish, frustrated? What does your mind dwell
on when this black mood descends? Are you pleasing God?
How long do you intend to let this continue? What is going
to be the end result of this mood?". Get your finger on the
root and then deal with yourself decisively. Don't allow
yourself to sulk and pout. (You would be offended if your
husband did it, and you would not tolerate your children acting in
this manner).
After a thorough inventory of yourself, you will be ready to
pray. First ask for forgiveness for the sin you found.
Then thank God for all that He does for you. Get yourself
busy and you will soon be surprised that the black gloom is gone
and in its place is a radiant, happy wife, ready to be all that
her husband could ask or think.
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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