Dead Men Walking Podcast: Dealing with Doubt & Discouragement

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of Dead Men Walking Podcast. So good to be here with you.

Jason, it's good to be here with you. Hello, Greg. That's your new voice now after being off for a week.

I've been gone for a little while. Came back with a new personality. You know, I heard some comedian,

I can't remember who it was, but he was talking about the drive -through at a McDonald's or something.

And he's like, some people are just all up on the mic. You know, they're just yelling at it. Like it's not modern technology or whatever, you know, and then all of a sudden, and then all of a sudden you get some people in there and they're just like, yeah, cheese and pickles.

Who was it? I can't remember. I mean, this is, this was in my BC days. Probably.

Oh, was that, was that a long ago? I'm joking. I don't, I honestly don't know. That doesn't, it wasn't

Dane Cook. It might've been Dane Cook. Now that I'm thinking about it. No, do you remember that? It might have been because he used to do that voice.

That's the pickles and the last pickles. That is. Okay. We're going to have to edit that out.

We both know who Dane Cook is. Oh, he was all the rage back in the day. He had that year or two. He was a really hard worker though.

You remember him on MySpace? Yeah. Oh yeah. Like he was just all over. He got his start doing

Facebook and then everything, but he didn't have like. Anyone supporting him at, at, you know, in the beginning, obviously.

And then just blew up. He used, he was the first guy to use social media for his career and blew up.

And then have you ever listened to a story about how his brother was his manager and stole, he had to send his brother to prison, stole like tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.

Are you serious? Yeah. Had to testify against his own brother. Wow. He was basically just like forge is forging like word documents and PDFs.

Oh, you made this, you did that. And he goes, I kind of knew something was going on. And then he went to under new management and the lawyer for his new management team was like, yeah, we've been asking your brother for six months for these documents and the stuff he's sending over.

Wild man. Yeah. Stole it all. Yeah. I mean, I, I mean, I know he was making quite a bit.

He was making some money. Yeah, man. Oh, it's funny. So we open up with a Dane cook.

Right. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Sorry guys. Sorry. We, uh, but man, it's good to be sitting across. Yeah. Jason.

I missed you. Yeah. Good to be back. I did start a, uh, a new job and just to add, well,

I should say added to my plethora of jobs, but, uh, but you know, that's okay.

We work hard. We play hard. We, uh, you know, a wise man has multiple plans. Exactly. Exactly.

Plan a plan B plan C. Amen. You're doing it all. Especially when you have a wife and two kids with one on the way.

One on the way. I mean, you, you definitely got to wise up. Yeah. And we found out what it is yet. Yes. Are you telling people?

We told everyone. So we're going to tell the world right now. What is it? We're having a ball. Yes. Where's the, where's the drop, man?

We need to drop. Wait, wait, wait, wait. What dropped? Oh, I don't know. We're having a ball. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

We don't like that. Well, let's see. Um, I thought it was gonna be laughter. I thought you were going to like, here we go.

I don't have any. Oh my goodness. Yeah, I know. Right.

I can't, we don't want to do thug life for it. We weren't, we weren't ready for this guy. We're doing a really loose show tonight.

We're just kind of in here, hanging out, talking, not going to do newsy news. And no, man, I'm ready for that.

That guy in, I don't know why. Okay. Uh, no, I don't. I am a fat guy in a little coat.

Honestly, every time I put my jacket on, I'm like, is this thing getting smaller? Did I wash this? Did I put it in the dryer?

Someone shrunk my shirt. No, you're just getting fatter, honey. It's the cookies. Uh, I'm so happy that you're going to have a boy, dude.

Yeah, man. We're excited. That's going to be so cool. I am surrounded by all girls right now.

Even the dog is a girl, you know? Are you serious? Yeah, man. Nothing but estrogen up in that house. Yeah, man.

Even the insects and the, uh, you know, the, the mouse that comes into here and now, now, and then probably a girl.

No, we don't have any mice. If anybody stops by our house, don't worry. Like we're calling social services.

People are like, wait a second. You just gave us cookies last week. Those are good cookies though.

I know, right? Your wife makes some chocolate chip cookies that are like, I know. Look at me. I'm surprised.

You're not 450 pounds. Well, you look fine, man. It's yeah. She's, she's great.

That's great. That isn't that like a double -edged sword when your wife is a great cook or good in the kitchen?

Because it's like, yes, there's, she's providing and she's doing such a great, but that's like, there's always good food.

That is like not good for you to eat at 11 o 'clock at night. Think about this tonight.

We're recording at 9 30 PM on a Sunday. And, uh, you know, she was like earlier today, she was like,

I'm making a pot roast for dinner. Oh, I'm going to need a nap. But I mean, she, she got done around like six 30 or seven and yeah,

I could not take a nap. So, yeah, I mean, but yeah, man, pot roast tonight and, uh, gosh, yeah.

She's, she's always cooking something up. Yeah. Well, here's the thing. So life can seem good and life is good for us generally overall.

But what we want to talk about tonight was kind of a flip side of that as men.

Um, and women too, but men, I think we were talking beforehand, Jason, uh, sometimes it's like hard to talk about like doubt and discouragement.

I think we're just trained, uh, socially to kind of, and there's some funny comedic bits about it as well, too, about just kind of penting everything up and not talking about it when in fact, man, you see doubt and discouragement throughout the entire

Bible, men of God, women of God. And it's something that we probably should talk about. Yeah.

Um, it's something that is real for almost, I would say everyone.

Yeah. I don't know one person who's never felt some type of doubt or discouragement believer or not believer.

Right. But I think this was something I brought up with Jake a couple of weeks ago when I was talking about how men kind of, you know, hold it all in.

I mean, I mean, yeah, just like you just said, we're trained to pretty much not say anything or if we cry, then we're weak.

Right. If we, you know, catch a feeling, we got to, uh, put a joke in there so that we don't like, you know, um, a ball or whatever, but it's like, man, yeah, it's so true.

Like I do that with compliments. Like if I give you a compliment and then I have to say something mean about you. So I don't feel like you were backhanded.

Sorry. I got to even it out with something. I'll roast. Well, I got to roast. Yeah. Say something nice about you once you think

I'm some kind of wimp. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. But yeah. So like, so what does this look like as believers as men who are believers?

Like we're, we do get discouraged. We do, we do have doubt. Right. I mean, and there's so many examples of it.

I know you were talking about the one that I really liked. If I can lead you into, I don't know what order you wanted to go in.

No, no, but the Elijah, Elijah example. Yeah, exactly. Talk about that. Cause that was, uh, what, what's the, what's the, uh, scene there.

So he just, what was, what was really funny, you know, you're, you're reading through first Kings, um, 18 and Elijah is just like, you know, um, uh, at one point he kills 450 priests of bail and you're just like bail, however you want to say it.

Right. Um, and, and then the first part of, uh, and you know, it just sounds so triumphant and he's just,

Oh yeah. Warrior man, you know, like, yeah, man, Elijah, whoa. You know? And then all of a sudden it's like,

Jezebel says in, uh, starting in, uh, chapter 19, she says,

I'm going to pretty much, um, I'm going to kill you tomorrow or die trying. He goes running off to Beersheba and it's like,

I mean, he was so discouraged. He was just like, Lord, just, just kill me.

Just, you know, I want to end it now, you know, end it now. And, uh, and pretty much,

I mean, he's fed angel food, whatever angel food is, but, uh, you know, it, it must be great stuff because, you know, he's your wife's cookies.

Yeah. Yeah. Right. God brought him down. Exactly. But you know, it's like, it's like, get back up, eat some food and get back to the battle, you know?

Yeah. Like, I mean, but you know, we, how crazy is that to go from that high to like killing 450 and then even someone who was a man of God, like Elijah having that low of just like, yeah, of doubt and like it's

Elijah discouragement. Right. Yeah. You know, I mean, it's, it's, yeah, it's, it's crazy, you know, to, uh, a lot of times when us being men, you know, the, the leaders of our household, when, when we feel the discouragement,

I really think it, it affects the home. Oh, 100%. You know what I'm saying? I think that there's something about it when, uh, you know, when, when dad's going through something and, and the kids see it, you know, um, and I, I have all girls in my house, like I said, they know when something's going down,

I get more hugs, you know, more cuddle time, you know? Um, uh, but you know, when I leave out that front door, nobody knows.

I mean, I might have a couple of people that I can kind of talk to about this stuff, but you know, it's, it's in our, in our human, uh, reactions.

I really think that there's times where it's just, um, you know, you're, you're sitting there, you're going, well, look, you know,

I know something should have happened this way. I know this should have went this way or that way. And you're, you're speaking to God in a tone where like, he's your servant doing things for you.

Right. And you're all of a sudden making yourself God. And it's like, that's not the way it works.

Right. Right. And, uh, and I really think that, you know, if, if we're listing off all these things, like, well,

I read my Bible, you know, I, I, I memorized the verse, I gave an extra tip to someone,

I did all these things and it bringing up all these, you know, works based in, in, uh, uh, but those are all good things to do.

Yeah, for sure. For sure. But it's like kind your servers, read your Bible, pray. You don't do those things to get rewarded like a, like a doggie, you know, like,

I mean, it's just things that you should do. Love your neighbor as yourself. Right. Right. And, uh, but yeah, anyway,

I, I really find it, you know, the doubt and discouragement side, um, falling into that a little bit to where you're like, well, look,

I did this, I did this, I did this. So why did I just lose my job? Right. You know, or, or why is it, why is everything just falling apart?

Why is my septic tank? Right. Right. You want to, what

I've always found on that note, I've found that in my life when I've had doubt and discouragement, uh, the lack of trusting

God has gone hand in hand with that. And I'm not speaking to anyone else. Um, I'm speaking for myself, but I found that for me, it's very easy to kind of get going on something on a project or a new idea, or maybe leading my family through something in kind of just going, well, it seems good, so I don't really need to consult

God on this. I mean, it's not a sin that we're doing. And it's like, well, no, everything should be done with supplication and prayer.

And then when I get discouraged about the thing, whether it doesn't work to my expectation or it does work, but I don't feel fulfilled or whatever the case may be,

I ultimately realize, oh, that's because I was doing it in my own power and my own might.

And that's why I feel discouraged now because God wasn't included in those plans. It's like, I just kind of did it.

That's kind of how it's been for me in my times of discouragement. And honestly, just like Elijah, for me,

I don't like to admit it. Um, because I do know how to plow forward and ignore the negative. Right.

But at the same time, I can get discouraged very easily. Yeah. Like I can see

God do some crazy, awesome things in my life. And then like a day later, get discouraged over some little thing that didn't go exactly my way.

Right. Right. Exactly. And I always wonder if that's because like, I'm just not truly killing my flesh then daily, like the

Bible tells us. I'm wondering if maybe I get disappointed in those little things that I want, because I want it.

Yeah. So then it's like, man, it's crazy how just a little bit of flesh or pride, it's, it's, it can cause that disappointment.

Like, why should I be disappointed over this little thing when God just did this huge thing for me, right?

Or the hugest thing of all of saving my soul, right? Like it gets the backdrop of that. I shouldn't be discouraged at all.

But dude, it's crazy. I can get discouraged over the dumbest thing. Now I really try not to hang.

I'm pretty good at not hanging on to it, but it's like, even just having that reaction, like, why did, why, why did that guy get that client?

Right. Right. I know that guy. I've talked, what the heck God I deserve. And he's like, no, no, whatever.

I'm using one of the examples, right? Yeah, for sure. Um, but I mean, I'm just being real with you.

Yeah. Yeah. Like, I think it, I think it's really hard for us to, I mean, as we're going through the sanctification process, you know, um, uh, we're, we're, our brains are, are really being sanctified and turned into being more like Jesus.

Right. Amen. So, I mean, it's like when those things happen, you know,

I mean, I don't know, even, even today, I mean, we went to Costco, we spent like, so that's a way to get discouraged when you see that receipt coming out of Costco, like, what are we doing?

Yeah, exactly. So like, so like, okay, here's the thing. I'm not a prepper, but like,

I kind of have that prepper mentality at times. And I think with the supply chain issues, we're starting to like thinking.

Yeah, you have discernment, right? Exactly. So that is now looked on in our society as being crazy.

Prepper probably have more than two days worth of food. I know. Right. So anyway, so we're, so we're looking at the supply chain issues a few weeks ago and I was just like, honey, we really need to go to Costco and just,

I mean, I'm talking a big order for, and for us, I mean, you know, like I've told you, we're, we're on a budget weekly, 75 bucks.

That's what we stick to, you know, like, but now I think it might be up to 95 because of prices and inflation and whatnot.

But when we go to Costco, we only spend about 200, 300 bucks a month.

That's good. So today we went and spent 750 bucks, right?

You know, it's like, we got a bunch of stuff, but it's going to last a long time.

Right. You know at least six to eight weeks, I would, I would guess as of right now anyway.

But, uh, but you know, I mean, that is a blessing. Sure. You know what I'm saying? That we could walk in there and do something like that.

And that my family does not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, you know, like where, where, you know, um, uh,

I can be at work. I don't have to go to the vending machine 10 times to get food. I can bring a lunchbox that has food in it, you know, like a pot roast, right?

Everybody's like, where'd you, what'd you have for lunch? Pot roast. Yeah. Pot roast. Yeah. Right. Or we got some steaks too.

I can't wait to take those in. Yeah. Sorry, fellas. If you're listening. Oh, we got some new fans too at work. So awesome.

Shout out. Yeah. Right. Glory to God. So, but yeah, but anyway, no, that's a, that's a good point though, because it's like, it's so crazy how we can become discouraged in the light of all the blessings that surround us.

Right. It's, it's kind of like you, this is a bad example, but you hear people say like how you'll have, you could get a hundred compliments on social media, but you focus on the one negative thing someone says.

Right. Yeah. Um, or even like maybe even on this podcast. Yeah. Right. We've had comments on YouTube. Oh, great show. You guys need more views.

Love you. And then one guy's like, who are these guys? I know. Yeah. You just focus on that.

You're like, wait a minute. Yep. But it's like, we do the same thing with God sometimes. Like he's lavished all these good things on us and then we still can become discouraged and I, and I don't even know.

If it's a, if it's a sin, really, it's, it's an emotional response to,

I don't know. I don't know. That's what I'm trying to figure out in my head. So like to become discouraged, you see so many men and women of God in the

Bible that discouraged all the time. Yeah. But I think the reaction to that was then to turn back to God and say,

God, open beer, open your, I mean, David was perfect at this. Yeah. Yeah. God, I'm so discouraged. My soul aches.

Why, why have you forsaken me? Where are you at? Why are these, this happening? Why isn't that happening? Why have you held me down?

Why have you lifted me up? All these things. That's why I love Psalms. Cause it's so raw. He's like, doesn't pull any punches.

You know exactly how David's feeling. And I'm always just like, we need a little bit more of that rawness, especially with men in the church.

I'm not saying we all sit around and, you know, moping, you know, we blow each other's noses.

I'm saying, I don't know why we'd blow each other's noses. That's weird. I said it that way. I was trying to make it as like,

I don't know, sissy as you could, but, but at the same time, dude, it's a real thing. Like if you don't deal with doubt and discouragement, it can, it can grow into other things.

It can fester. It can become resentment. It can become all these things and everything. Yeah. And it's like, so what is our answer to discouragement?

Is it, is it to turn back to God? Right. I think that's our answer for most things for all things in life.

Yeah. I would say, what do you think? I think, I think that there's a, a line that needs to be drawn in the sand at some point, you know, you have to say, look, like,

I'm not going to live in this for one, you know, I mean, I think that there is a time where you're just like, man, get up, eat that angel food, you know, open your

Bible and see what the Lord says about you, you know? I mean, you have to be charismatic right now, but like,

I'll go ahead and say the Pentecostal charismatic thing. Um, uh, okay.

We got a drop coming up, but you know what? Just realize that like, that God is for you.

Oh, dang it. It's coming out of me. Come on. God is for you.

God is for you. He ain't against you. He ain't going to put you through nothing.

He ain't going to bring you through. No, no, I'll just say he's not going to.

I mean, look, when you go through, those are all biblical things you just said though. So yeah, yeah. I mean, like the, the things that you, that you are, are put through are, are growing you.

Yeah. Yep. That valley that we always talk about praising him in the valley, praising him on the mountain top.

Like not being, not just moping and sitting in that valley.

Like the Lord isn't sitting next to you, you know, or carrying you through that valley. Right. Like, I think there's times where I'm just,

I I'll admit, um, I'll say, Lord, where are you? Yeah. And it's like, after you think about that statement, 10 minutes later, when you're in your

Bible or praying, you're just like, why did I just say that? I know where God is.

You know, like I know where he is. Well, so did David though. But he asked the same thing. Right. Exactly. Yeah. Like that's the thing

I wrestle with. So I, I don't know if God necessarily looks negatively on us being discouraged or doubt that's natural within our walk.

Isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. And I'm not saying wallow in it. I'm not saying make it your idol. I'm not saying, uh, lose faith.

Yeah. I'm saying it's natural to be discouraged and have doubt. Yep. And doesn't the father that much more love to comfort us in those times and take us through those.

Absolutely. Don't you for your son and daughter, well, your future son and your daughters, if they have doubt in something or they're discouraged in something, doesn't it bring you joy to encourage them and lift them up?

How much more does our heavenly father? Right. So it's like this weird thing. Like people I've met people before. They have literally said to me,

I've never had doubt in my life. I've never been discouraged. God has brought me peace, joy, happiness.

And I'm like, I don't trust you. I'm sorry, dude. I don't trust you. If someone tells me that's the same people as I have never lied.

Like you just lie. Yeah. You just like, I don't trust people that say like, I've never been discouraged. I've never had doubt.

I know it's like, dude, the greatest men and women in the Bible had doubt. They were discouraged. It's like a natural part of our human life.

And I think the point is though, is to get us back to God. Yeah. Like even in discouragement, we can get back to God.

Right. We can, like you just said, the valley, we can learn something from it. Yeah, it can. You know, there, there was one more thing

I want to bring up real quick. Just in Exodus. If you guys get the, get the chance, read what

Moses says to God in Exodus 5, 22. Actually, I'm just going to read it real quick.

Read it. Okay. So Exodus 5, 22. Then Moses turned to the

Lord and said, Oh Lord, why have you done evil to this people?

Why did you ever send me? He said, Moses said to the

Lord, have you, why have you done evil to this? Be like, this is

Moses. He's talking like, like this is Moses who is talking to the Lord in that tone, you know?

And it's, and it's just like. The guy who'd been in front of the burning bush. Yeah, I am. I came down with the tablets. I, yeah, man.

I mean, there's so much to that, but then the Lord in chapter six, starting in verse one, but the

Lord said to Moses, Moses, now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh for with a strong hand, he will send them out.

And with a strong hand, he will drive them out of his land. So, I mean, like the

Lord always keeps his promises, you know? And it's like, even though Moses said that to the

Lord, like the Lord still provided a way, you know, he still did what he said he was going to do.

Can you imagine? I don't know what kind of parents you had, but I remember when

I was in church and I acted up, the words that I got in church, in my ear was, you're going to get it when you get home.

You never wanted to hear, you're going to get it when you get home. Oh yeah, we had similar parents.

I knew what that meant. That was like, you've done messed up. I asked you to stop.

You are not stopping. Is that kind of what God is saying to Moses here? Well, here, but that's not what

God says to him though. It's pretty incredible. The mercy and grace that God has towards Moses.

He's getting some attitude, get some lip. Exactly. Like, like he didn't even just crush, he didn't even crush

Moses, you know, he didn't kill him there on the spot. Had every right to probably. He was just like, okay, son, you know, like, okay,

I hear you. I understand you're frustrated, but guess what? You know, like things are going to get better.

Like, don't worry. Yeah. So that was, I'm always wondering, like when Moses says all this evil that you brought, that you brought.

Yeah. I wonder how all those, like, God is the nicest Santa Claus in the sky ever. Right. People read that verse when you see this old

Testament stuff of God bringing evil to people or bringing an evil spirit to bring a lying spirit.

And yeah, the, yeah, all that's crazy, man. Yeah. It's like, there's some deep stuff there.

Dude. I love it. Can I take us out on one of my favorite verses? Absolutely. Is that cool? We're trying to keep it concise for you guys tonight.

Cause we want to encourage, right? We want to talk about a real issue, doubt and discouragement. Um, you brought up some great points there and both

Elijah and Moses, but, uh, second Corinthians four 16 through 18. I wanted to read to you guys that are listening.

Verse 16 says this. Therefore we do not lose heart though. Outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Talking a juxtaposition there of this, of the physical body versus the spirit, right? For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Verse 18. So fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Wow. That's so good. It just gets you jazzed up. Let's, uh, let's, let's go out there and be encouraged.

Um, and I would say, I don't know how you feel about this, uh, Jason, but I would say to anyone listening, if you have, you know, if you're, if you're, especially if you're a man too, and you're having trouble with discouragement or doubt, man, get, get, get to it with a sound brother in the

Lord. Talk about it, absolutely confess it. And I'm not saying confess it as in, it's a sin, like confess your sins.

I'm saying confess, talk about it out loud, you know, um, work through it, pray.

I mean, it's always better when you have a brother in the Lord going through something with another brother or sister going through with another sister.

A lot of times, you know, your, your brother is probably either going through the same thing has went through it or, you know, may go through it soon enough, you know?

So it's like, yeah, we need to be there for each other. Love your brother. Cool guys. Thanks so much for listening to another episode of dead men, walking podcasts.

As always, you can find us at dmwpodcast .com. We got merch. You can support the show. Leave us comments. Make sure you tell a friend and share on social media, dead men, walking podcast guys, as always,

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