Resource Library

Encouragement

In the classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, the main character, Christian, tumbles into the miry bog, the “slough of despond,” and struggles to get free. But the heavy burden on his back pulls him in deeper, and he begins to sink.

This image pictures what it feels like when we’re sinking in difficult circumstances—when our debts outweigh our income, when past hurts won’t heal, when discontentment marks our relationships, and when the light of heaven seems distant and dim. Discouragement, despondency, pain, suffering—these miry pits along life’s journey can pull us down into our own “slough of despond.”

Christian’s rescue came by the hand of a fellow traveller named Help...and the same is true for you today. Use these resources to find encouragement for your own life...or to minister help to those you find along life’s journey.

Resources on this Topic

Affirmation

Sometimes we’re not quite sure what to say to someone who’s going through a tough time. Chuck Swindoll says that massive doses of this will make a great start.

Keep At It

Those who watch you perform a skill have no idea how much time you’ve spent training first. Chuck Swindoll urges us to keep pushing toward excellence behind the scenes.

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