When Discouraged by the Pursuit of Righteousness

I’m feeling a little discouraged today. When we fall short of those righteous living goals we aim for, sometimes the failure hits hard. I know I’ve written about keeping a truthful, humble, yet positive attitude that admits our sins to the Lord, thanks Jesus for his mercy and forgiveness, and pushes forward with faith that he will help us attain the righteousness we seek.

I’ve even suggested that it might be a good idea to see ourselves as perfected as a means of faith in the power of the promise of our salvation.

I think there is a balance we are shooting for that goes some place between knowing how wretched we are and having faith in where we are going, then having greater faith as we see ourselves walking more uprightly.

If you are anything like me and others I know, maintaining a positive mindset can be hard. When we fail over and over, especially for the same kinds of struggles, the pursuit of righteousness can feel overwhelming. It can be so easy to get discouraged.

So, since I’m feeling a little discouraged, I want to try to offer some encouragement to others by sharing some scripture that might help get us through these hard times.

Matt 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Matt 9:12-13 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.

Matt 12:27-30 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

John 5:24 He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Romans 8: 23-25 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doeth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

2 Cor 3: 17-17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Cor 5: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.

2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Cor 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Phil 23: 13-15 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore be thus minded: and if any thing ye be other wise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Phil 4: 13&19 13- I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 19- But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2 Tim 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for every and ever. Amen.

Heb 2: 17-18 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. *Note that succour means liberate.

Hebrews 12 1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heb 12: 10-11 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakes of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

1 Peter 1: 4-9 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Christ: Whom having not seen. Ye love; in whom, through now ye see him not, ye believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

2 Peter 1: 3-8 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1John 5 4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?