What do you do when despair settles in? Everybody deals with despair from time to time. The bills increase while the income does not keep pace. The visit to the doctor reveals health issues and more challenges. The normal everyday trials of life mount such as car and home repairs, issues at work, relational issues, spiritual dryness as well as fatigue.
Despair can be defined simply as a loss of hope or hopelessness. How many woke up today with no hope. They have tried all the things to cope with despair but nothing has brought the long sought after relief. They have read the Bible but in their despair the words on the pages have not brought long lasting relief. Prayer seems like an empty exercise for those drowning in despair. They cry out for help and desperately reach for the life line of hope but what do they do when that line does not come.
There are many living in deep despair. They have learned to hide it publicly even from their families. In private the despair clouds everything in confusion. They press through each day dutifully but not delightfully. They sink deeper and deeper into a private despair they cannot shake or ignore or share with others. Daily the despair stacks layer on top of layer of more hopelessness.
Disappointment after disappointment multiplies the hopelessness. Well meaning Christians and pastors, that act like they have all the answers, do not help. Advice like "pray a little harder," "you just need more faith," or "read your Bible more," do not help. When all this advice has been heeded and the despair does not end what then?
What do people do when the despair does not disappear but resurfaces everyday? Prolonged despair can leave people desperate for relief. Any kind of relief. Even destructive relief. Alcohol, drugs, sexual immorality and experimental religious beliefs. Desperate people are especially vulnerable to the deceptive tricks of Satan. Temporary pleasure does not make despair disappear. Despair might get shoved to the back of the mind for temporary pleasure and relief but when these end the despair returns.
Some choose medication. I am not a medical expert and there are certain situations when medication is necessary. Other times medication can be an artificial way to cope. Even with medication the despair does not really disappear but is only dulled temporarily.
Is there any hope? I can only think of one. For Jesus to show up. Jesus shows up. He showed up for the leper. [Matt 8:1-3] He showed up for the demoniac. [Mark 5:1-24] He showed up for the woman suffering for twelve long years without hope. [Mark 5: 25-34] He showed up for Jairus when all hope waned. [Mark 5:35-43] He also showed up for Lazarus. [John 11:1-44] My hope and bet is that He will show up for those in despair sooner or later.
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