How to Build When You Feel Discouraged

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it really looks like to build something when you're not feeling your strongest. When your motivation dips. When you’re showing up, doing the work, but quietly wondering, “Is this even working? Is it making a difference?”

I’ve been in that space recently. I’ve still been building, still pressing forward, but if I’m honest , it’s been hard to keep the momentum. Discouragement can creep in quietly. It doesn’t always come in the form of failure or criticism. Sometimes it just shows up as weariness. That slow, subtle heaviness that makes you want to pull back, or hide, or delay the next step just a little longer.

While sitting with that, I was reminded of Joshua 1:9:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

What stood out to me this time wasn’t just the “be strong and courageous” part it was that God commands it. Not suggests. Not offers it as encouragement. He’s saying, “This is what I need from you.” And He follows it with a promise: You’re not doing this alone.

That’s powerful. Because when you’re building something a business, a dream, a brand, a vision that doesn’t fully exist yet it often feels like you are alone. You're carrying the weight, making the decisions, keeping the faith when results are slow or unclear.

In that place, I’ve been thinking about Nehemiah, too. He wasn’t a construction worker. He was a cupbearer. But when he felt a deep conviction to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, he stepped up. And right away, people questioned him. They mocked the work. They tried to distract and even sabotage the effort.

But Nehemiah didn’t let that pull him away from the work. He knew it mattered. And he stayed focused not just on what he was building physically, but on what it represented: restoration, protection, purpose.

That’s what building in the marketplace can feel like. It's not just about the product or service it's about the why underneath it. The reason you started. The people you're serving. The need you're meeting. And that why has to be louder than the resistance.

The truth is, discouragement isn’t a sign that you’re doing it wrong. Sometimes it’s just part of the process. And staying faithful in that space choosing to keep showing up, to lay another brick, even when your hands are tired that’s the real work.

So if you’re feeling that this week, I just want to say: it’s okay. You’re not behind. You’re not broken. You’re not failing.

You’re human. And you’re still building.

Let this be your reminder that God is with you in the process. He sees what’s happening behind the scenes. And He’s not asking for perfection just courage. Courage to trust. Courage to keep showing up. Courage to believe that what you’re building matters, even when it feels small.

Keep going. One step, one brick, one faithful “yes” at a time.

- Love Karen

Builder’s Prompt:

Where in your life or business have you stopped building because discouragement made it feel too heavy?

What’s one small step a message, a task, a conversation, or a prayer you can take this week to pick the work back up again?

You don’t need to see the whole wall to lay the next brick.