[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fperplexed-but-not-in-despair":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fperplexed-but-not-in-despair-surround":64},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":12,"columnName":46,"date":47,"description":18,"extension":48,"image":49,"meta":50,"minRead":51,"navigation":52,"path":53,"postType":54,"publication":55,"publicationUrl":49,"seo":56,"stem":57,"topics":58,"__hash__":63},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fperplexed-but-not-in-despair.md","Perplexed, but not in Despair",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11],"2 Corinthians","Philippians","Romans",{"type":13,"value":14,"toc":42},"minimark",[15,19,22,30,33,36,39],[16,17,18],"p",{},"Second Corinthians is one of my favorite New Testament books. It offers lots of encouragement (the word \"comfort\" appears nine times in the epistle's first seven verses). It deals with great themes (life after death, peace with God, and cheerful giving). But I think the main reason I appreciate this letter is because it reveals the apostle Paul's transparency—an honest, no-holds-barred appraisal of the struggles he endured as a follower of Christ.",[16,20,21],{},"For example, Paul acknowledged how inadequate he felt about his ministry (\"who is equal to such a task?\"); but then he went on to affirm his confidence in the power of God—\"Our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant\" (2 Corinthians 2:16; 3:5, 6). Paul saw himself as a humble clay jar that contained a priceless spiritual treasure. \"We are hard pressed on every side,\" he wrote, \"but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed\" (4:7–9).",[16,23,24,25,29],{},"Compared to Paul's troubles, many of ours seem minor. He was imprisoned, flogged, stoned, shipwrecked, and exposed to countless other hardships. Through it all, he bore a daily burden of \"concern for all the churches\" (11:23–29). The same man who wrote, \"Do not be anxious for anything\" (Philippians 4:6) confessed that he felt anxious every day because he cared so much about God's people! (The same Greek word, ",[26,27,28],"em",{},"merimna",", appears in both passages.) The great apostle also endured a thorn in the flesh that God refused to take away despite Paul's repeated requests. Yet through all his suffering, Paul found that God's comfort and grace were sufficient. He learned that God displays his perfect power in our times of human weakness (12:7–10).",[16,31,32],{},"Paul wasn't a whiner. His physical pains and emotional ups and downs did not mean that he lacked faith. Paul courageously clung to his faith even while he walked through the dark valleys. His view was that the Lord \"always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ\"—even during hard times (2:14).",[16,34,35],{},"These are refreshing ideas—especially if you've grown a little weary in your own journey of faith. The Bible is utterly realistic. It doesn't gloss over life's emotional downside. The uplifting words of the Twenty-third Psalm (\"the Lord is my shepherd\") follow immediately after the heart-breaking words of Psalm 22 (\"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?\"). The reassurance of Romans 8:28 (\"in all things God works for the good of those who love him\") follows the realistic assessment of Romans 8:22 (\"the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time\").",[16,37,38],{},"When you feel depressed, it doesn't always help when well-meaning friends simply exhort you to cheer up, or when worship leaders at church order you to paste a smile on your face. The fact is, some of faith's greatest lessons are discovered not on the mountaintops but in the valleys of discouragement and loneliness.",[16,40,41],{},"C. S. Lewis once wrote that faith is \"holding on to what your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.\" Our moods can change as quickly as the winter weather. But if we hang on to faith, we'll discover that God is still with us—even as we walk through the dark valley.",{"title":43,"searchDepth":44,"depth":44,"links":45},"",2,[],"From the Editor's Desk","1997-01-19","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fperplexed-but-not-in-despair","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":18},"articles\u002Fperplexed-but-not-in-despair",[59,60,61,62],"Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Christian Unity","Perseverance in Suffering","55-r5CrQLQVUedZAe2Ix87jOG7A_w1oUXmBbOvQR-x0",[65,70],{"title":66,"path":67,"stem":68,"description":69,"children":-1},"Peace Quest","\u002Farticles\u002Fpeace-quest","articles\u002Fpeace-quest","Trivial Pursuit may be a clever name for a game, but it's a terrible way to live your life.",{"title":71,"path":72,"stem":73,"description":74,"children":-1},"Phishers of Men","\u002Farticles\u002Fphishers-of-men","articles\u002Fphishers-of-men","Do you receive unsolicited text messages from strangers offering to buy your house? Do you get phone calls warning about problems with your Social Security account or demanding payment for products you never ordered?"]