“For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
(Jeremiah 29: 11)
The dictionary defines the word despair as to lose all hope or confidence. I often find myself dwelling in the pit of despair. It’s not a pretty place to be. I’ve had to fight to stay out of that pit, and at times I’ve sunk in head first and stayed there longer than I should have.
Living in despair affects every aspect of your life. You lose interest in the things you once enjoyed. You find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. You don’t feel as if you have any purpose in life. Each day becomes an endurance contest. You stop living and start existing, just going through the motions of daily life.
I’ve lost track of how many times I resided in the pit of despair during the past several years while battling health and personal issues, and I hated every minute of it. Being a resident of the pit of despair will suck the life right out of you.
It will cause you to question why you are even here on this earth and if you have any purpose in life. Instead of seeing your worth in Christ, you base your self-worth on the hurtful words of others or how lousy you feel. You start to act like despair is your calling.
The words that race through your mind when in the pit of despair, such as worthless, rejected, unloved, unwanted, abandoned, replaced, sick, miserable, etc., are always negative and untrue. You feel hopeless and fearful of the future.
I’ve always enjoyed watching Anne of Green Gables. The character, Marilla, is well known for the following quote: “To despair is to turn your back on God.” Marilla’s definition may seem a little harsh, but it’s true.
When we allow others to define our self-worth instead of God, it’s easy to end up in the pit of despair. When we allow feelings of hopelessness to creep into our thoughts, we stop believing God is good. We stop trusting in his promises.
God’s promises are overflowing with hope and love. He did not call us to a life of despair and hopelessness. He has plans for our lives – plans for a hope and a future.
One of my favorite verses regarding hope is found in Romans 15: 13:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As you begin to focus on God’s promises rather than the words of others or your emotions, those old destructive words will be replaced with lovely words of hope found in scripture – worthy, loved, hopeful, joyful, peaceful, redeemed, and protected.
Are you living the life of hope God desires for you to live, or are you just existing and trying to make it through one more day dwelling in the pit of despair? As you fill your mind with God’s truth, there will be less room for negative thoughts.
As women who belong to the God of hope, living in despair is not our calling.
