Despair

Have you ever had one of those days, or even weeks, where nothing seems to be going your way. Eventually it feels like a never-ending assult and you sink beyond depression. Is there any way out? Is there any way to at least relieve the tension and feelings of despair and all-out hopelessness? You bet there is!

You may not be able to get out from the circumstances causing all of this, but you can always free yourself from the hopeless feelings of despair. What's the key? As with everything else, it has to do with your relationship with God. The closer your relationship with God, the easier it is to deal with the many difficulties life throws at you. And the best cure for despair is praise. If you've ever focused on really worshipping and praising God for who He is, you know how it refreshes your spirit and lifts you up above your own worries. Why is this? Because in praising God, you remove the focus on self and place it where it really belongs.

The prophet Isaiah mentioned this to the Israelites in Isaiah 61 as he tried to raise their spirits. In reality, it was the Spirit of God that lifted them up. And so it is when we place our focus on God. Paul probably put it best when he said, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." [2 Cor 1:3-5]

Next time you feel the weight of despair coming down on you, take comfort in the Lord. Set some time aside to praise and worship Him -- it will most definitely change your outlook on things. Praise God.