“So let us 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

We all have days where we trip, fall, and feel discouraged. Days where motivation feels completely absent and pressing forward toward our goals seems exhausting. This is true for every single one of us.

I experience these days too. Moments where I feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or lacking the drive to keep going with the same stamina and enthusiasm.

So the question becomes, how do we stay motivated on days like that?

The honest answer is, we don’t.

Motivation is an emotion, and emotions are unreliable. They change constantly. One day we wake up feeling energized and confident, and the next day we may feel tired, off, or discouraged. This alone shows us why we can’t base our decisions on emotions, especially the emotion of motivation.

If we waited until we felt motivated to finish everything we started, very little would ever get done.

When we begin something new, motivation is usually high. We’re excited. We feel determined. We can almost taste the victory. But fast forward a few weeks, and that familiar lack of drive shows up. Results may feel slow, stress increases, or the process turns out to be harder than we expected.

That’s where commitment matters.

Instead of relying on motivation, we must make a decision. A commitment to keep showing up regardless of how we feel.

This is something I practice regularly in my own life. Once I decide to do something, I bring it to the Lord. I surrender it to Him and ask Him for the strength to walk it out. I write my goals down and remind myself why I started in the first place.

When things get hard, and they often do, I run to the Word of God for encouragement. I remind myself of His promises and the truth that He has given me a future filled with hope as written in Jeremiah 29:11. I revisit the commitments I’ve made and choose not to let discouragement take root.

Sometimes that means reminding myself that tomorrow is a new day. Sometimes I have to do that over and over again. But I refuse to stay in a defeated mindset. I remind myself that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, and that truly means all things.

One of the enemy’s greatest tactics is discouragement. When we feel defeated or like failures, it becomes much harder to keep running the race. That’s why it is so important to decide ahead of time that no matter how many times we fall, we will always get back up.

Keep doing what you know to do. Stay faithful. Stay consistent. And trust that the results will come when you choose not to give up.

Prayer
Lord, I thank You that through You I can do all things. Help me to keep running the race and pressing on toward the goals You’ve placed on my heart. Guard me from discouragement and a defeated mindset. Thank You that no matter how many times I fall, You are always there to help me rise again. Today, I choose to keep going and trust You with the outcome. In Jesus’ name, amen.