“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9
What’s it like to be in despair? The dictionary definition says that despair is to lose or be without hope. Sometimes there are situations that seem utterly hopeless. A loved one who will never change, or that habit we just can’t kick. Or maybe it’s a diagnosis we’ve received, or some shocking news that came our way, or someone who left us. Many times it’s being beaten down by the consistent pounding of a negative situation in which we find ourselves. In all of these cases, and many more, we may feel as if there’s no hope, that despair is our only option. If anyone had a right to feel despair, Paul did. He faced difficult situations wherever he went. He was ridiculed and beaten by those who hated him, and even had troubles with those who loved him. It seemed that he was met with difficulties at every turn. Yet he is the one that God used to write this verse.
I love how Paul doesn’t try to gloss over the fact that there were hardships. In fact, he says those hardships came from every direction. But he didn’t let them get him down. It sounds as if he even had times when he wondered what in the world God was up to! Can you relate? Even in the midst of being persecuted for his faith, Paul doesn’t give in, nor does he give up. He knows that God hasn’t left him and that even if his body is destroyed, He will never be destroyed. In fact, earlier in this same letter, Paul has told them that he had suffered such hardships that he was afraid they were not going to live through it.
So how is it possible that none of this led Paul into despair? The word that is translated as “despair” appears only twice in the New Testament, and we’ve just talked about both of them. The first is when Paul “despaired even of life” from the intense persecutions. But he goes on to say that even then, God was using the circumstances to cause them to lean on Him. The second time is in this verse when it says that we are not in despair. We may be confused about what God’s doing, but we’re not hopeless. Now why do you think the word “despair” only appears twice in the New Testament? And both times it says that he didn’t despair? Do you think it may be because we now have the opportunity to have the Holy Spirit within us? That changes everything, doesn’t it? I don’t know if it’s possible to be hopeless when we have the God of hope living within our hearts. So if you’re feeling despair, ask God to show you the hope we have in Him.