Cancer of the soul is how someone has described discouragement in the Christian life. Or as this verse puts it, losing heart in doing good. It is a curse that waits in the wings throughout the Christian life, ready to strike at any time—sometimes when it seems eminently justified, other times it surprises us.

A new Christian flies high on the emotion of discovering the love and grace of God, and experiences immediate life change and impact on those around him or her. But not long after discouragement barges in through doubts, resistance to his testimony, falling into an old sinful habit and, to put it generically, failure in actually making good happen. To this person the Lord says, “Don’t lose heart!”

But discouragement is not limited to new believers. Serving in ministry  has its cancer as well. The Christian’s sacrificial efforts and best intentions at times seem to produce seemingly little results (at best) or adverse consequences (at worse), like resistance from others, criticism or failure. Self-doubts, self-worth, intrude uninvited like a SWAT team yelling, “You are a failure” or “This Christian serving thing doesn’t work!” God’s message is the same, “Don’t lose heart!”

Ironically, even after seeming success the cancer jumps out from behind the spiritual bushes. After a ministry success, a big event attended by many people, a growing ministry, whatever—discouragement grabs hold and says, “This doesn’t make you  feel any closer to God. You are a hypocrite. You are arrogant. You need this for your self-esteem. Your ministry is not as big or successful as _____________.” The whispers are many, but they are there.

Sometimes, the cancer feels more like a spiritual malaise. As the psalmist wrote, “Why are you downcast, O my soul?” (Ps 42:5a). The Christian life was supposed to be more than this, wasn’t it. And we resort to doing religious deeds that we hope will somehow kickstart our spiritual motor. We go to spiritual pep-rallies (services designed to charge us up emotionally-spiritually) or we engage in  ascetic practices and castigate ourselves or we vow to do something spiritually-heroic for  God.  But what is God’s answer?  “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary!” Notice, the apostle says, “We.”  It was his struggle as well. We are in good company, to say the least. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Christ, who is our great hope.