STAYING FOCUSED IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

Introduction

In this devotion I want to talk about the problem of despair and the importance of focus. I'll admit that this is something I've been struggling with a lot lately. And, as such, I've found myself having to learn the same lessons over and over again. The main reason I mention this, is so that you will not consider my message to be prideful or preachy. The only reason I can write about this is because I myself have struggled with it. You may also find it interesting to know that some of the psalmists have struggled with despair as well. Psalm 116:3 says, “The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.” Whatever our troubles may be, many of us, like the psalmist, become stuck in our despair.

What is Despair?

What is despair? I believe Job was despairing when he “cursed the day of his birth” (Job 3). His curse is a fairly long one, but here are some of the things he said: “May the day of my birth perish, ...for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes... Why did I not perish at birth, ...Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day? ...Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, ...I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” Despair, then, is a sense of hopelessness. It is a weariness with life that makes us feel that there is no meaning or good in life, which takes away our will to live.

ccc Obviously, despair does not come out of nowhere. It is a byproduct of our situation or circumstances. But in our difficult circumstances we do not have to yield to despair. In times of trouble, we can choose to respond one of two ways: with hope or with despair. We cannot both hope and despair at the same time. But what gives us reason to hope rather than to despair? God! God is our source of hope. Despair, therefore, is what happens when we take God out of the equation. God is the cure for the weariness we often feel with life. As Isaiah 40:31 says, “...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Why Does God Allow Troubles?

Perhaps your troubles have caused you to conclude that God doesn't really love you. But if this is your conclusion, then you have lost faith and have ceased to trust in the promises God has given us in His Word. The Bible says that “...in all things God works for the good of those who love him...” (Romans 8:28). But if God is working for our good, why does He allow us to suffer like this? Hebrews 12 has the answer. If we truly love God and belong to Him, then we are His children. And this is the word of encouragement that is given to us in Hebrews 12:5-6: “...do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” And why does God discipline us? “...for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however”—this is the benefit of God's discipline—“it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11).

ccc My friends, too often—instead of being trained, strengthened, and sanctified by our troubles—we find ourselves stuck in our weakness and despair. We remain disabled and weak Christians instead of allowing ourselves to be transformed. This is why—with regard to God's discipline—we are each exhorted to “...strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 'Make level paths for your feet,' so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed” (Hebrews 12:12-13). Discipline and difficulties are not meant to disable us, but to enable us to move forward into the “harvest of righteousness and peace” that God longs to give us.

How do we strengthen our weak knees?

But the question remains: How do we strengthen our week knees? How do we make level path for our feet? How do we overcome our tendency towards despair? One answer to this question comes from looking back at our original psalm: “I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: 'O LORD, save me!'” (Psalm 116:3-4). When your troubles have you down, the first step is to call on the name of the Lord—to pray to Him, cry out to Him, ask Him for help and for the strength to endure the difficulties you are facing. In such times, our instinct is not to run to God with our troubles, but rather to recount them—to meditate upon them. I am as guilty of this as anyone and, as such, I have repeatedly learned and relearned that despair is an inevitable consequence of meditating on our troubles.

ccc I'm not saying that we should deny our troubles or not show concern for those who are experiencing troubles. What I am saying is this: When your gaze is focused in on something very near you—for example, your life and your troubles—you are not, at the same time, able to focus on the bigger picture. Consider a photograph or a movie scene in which an object in the foreground is in focus, but the background has become blurred. Such is the nature of our spiritual vision (see picture above). If I am constantly focused on myself, I will probably give in to despair, because God is a blur somewhere in the background. But if I focus on God, then all of my troubles become a blur instead. And this is what Hebrews 12:2-3 says about this issue: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” And, likewise, Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

ccc And how does the psalmist respond to God's faithfulness? With praise and thanksgiving: “The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living... How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? ...I will lift up the cup of salvation... I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people...” (Psalm 116:5-9,12-13,17-18). My friends, there is another important principle to be learned here regarding focus: You can focus on your troubles and despair, or you can focus on your blessings and give thanks. Though we are not likely to just forget all of our troubles, we should not let them negate our blessings. I challenge you—especially if you are currently struggling with depression and despair—to count your blessings. Make a list and meditate upon it, giving thanks to God for all He's done in your life...

ccc And just in case nothing comes to mind, consider these things: (1) Are you alive? (That means that God thought you up and chose to create you!); (2) Do you have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep on, food to eat, clean water to drink? (Consider the many people throughout the world who don't have these things.) (3) Do you have a loving family? (4) How about a loving Savior? Even if we have nothing else, this alone should be enough. As the Apostle Paul says, we should “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4)!

ccc Like Paul, we must learn to consider all things loss “compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus...” (see Philippians 3:7-10). We should be like Paul, who said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13). And this same Paul also experienced the following difficulties: “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:24-28)... It is the same Paul who concluded that “for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). It is in our difficulties that we best learn to trust and rely on Christ.

ccc And if we have grievances or regrets from the past, we are not to focus on them either. Instead, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [we must] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Furthermore, we are not to focus on the things that occupy the minds of most men. For “many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:18-20).

Conclusion

In conclusion, let us not be like the seed that fell among the thorns, so that “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke [us], making [us] unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). Instead, let us: (1) Focus on heavenly things, not on earthly things. (2) Focus on our (godly) future goals, not on our past regrets. (3) Focus on our blessings, not our troubles. (4) Focus on God, not on ourselves. (5) Focus on prayer, not on complaining. And finally, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me [Paul]—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).

ccc Here is one final thought. It is not enough to learn this lesson for today, but to retain it—to remember it and to put it into practice—for tomorrow. The victory against despair will not come easily—the enemy fights us at every turn—but we need to stand firm. And when we fall, we need to pick ourselves up, with God's help, and carry on. I hope you will reread this devotion whenever despair rears its ugly head in your life. After all, hope, joy, and peace are so much better than hopelessness and despair. May the God of hope and peace be with you all!