The Antidote To Quiet Desperation


If there is a two word phrase that can best 
summarize our culture, quiet desperation might be 
it, (though I sense the desperation getting 
louder). There is a certain internal panic that 
people have that something is going to go 
terribly wrong, and that there is going to be 
nothing that they can do to fix it. They distract 
themselves with celebrity news, sports, 
entertainment, politics, and so on, neglecting 
the spiritual void within themselves. Times of 
trial tend to move people to seek God, but such 
has been often temporary, sadly too often, due to 
the church not being what it should be. Yet, the quiet,
internal desperation, worry, angst, and 
uncertainty prevail. I know as you do that even 
Christians can sometimes get to a point of quiet 
desperation. We are good at keeping secrets lest 
others think we are weak or "lacking faith" as if 
it is sin to feel anger, worry, fear, or panic. 
These things are normal human experiences. What 
defines whether they are sin or not is based upon 
how we handle them and what we do with the thoughts and emotions that flood us.

Brothers and sisters, we are human, and we hurt 
and struggle. Some of us hide it better than 
others, and some of us have an easier journey than others.

But for those who keep within themselves a quiet desperation, there is hope.

Let us start by rehearsing what we know from 
Scripture. First, we must remember that God will 
never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5). 
Second, let us remember that God will never tempt 
us beyond what we can handle. (1 Corinthians 
10:13). Third, let us remember that in this life, 
we do have trouble, but Christ has overcome this 
world. (John 16:33). Thus, we have the weight of 
the glory of eternity. (2 Corinthians 4:17), to 
remember and to set our hope entirely upon. (1 
Peter 1:13). Yet just knowing these truths is not 
enough. We must believe them. Faith is believing 
the promises of God and acting upon them, whether 
we feel like it or not. This is the challenge. The battle is for faith.

Never can we say that we cannot have victory 
because we can…by faith. (Mark 9:23, Philippians 
4:13). Never are we justified to say that we 
cannot have hope or joy, (Philippians 4:4), 
because that is the right of the child of God ... 
who believes. Never are we justified to stay in a 
state of internal desperation,
though the external circumstances could be very 
desperate, (as Paul said, "perplexed but not 
despairing."--2 Corinthians 4:8). We must believe 
that the Scripture is truth when it says "the 
steadfast of mind you will keep in perfect 
peace." Why and how does this happen? "Because he 
trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3). We must believe 
that statement, and then we must act upon it by 
setting our minds upon Christ. So faith is not 
passive, but it is active. This is why the 
Scripture says that faith without works is dead. 
(James 2:17). Faith that is true faith leads to 
change, and faith is what is needed to break us 
out of a state of quiet desperation.

For those feeling internally desperate for 
whatever circumstances, we must choose to believe 
the Word of God, and to trust Christ at His Word 
that He is able and faithful to give us peace. 
There is no other answer. This is not to say that 
there are not practical things to do as well. Faith is not "blind
faith", which crawls under a rock waiting for God 
to intervene. Granted, we can do nothing on our 
own power, but God is honored when we walk by 
faith by taking proactive steps of obedience. 
When circumstances close in around us, most 
certainly we should pray and trust, but let us 
not forget that the fruit of trust is faith, 
action, and obedience. We must not use the idea 
of waiting upon God as an excuse for laziness. 
There will be times where we must wait for God to 
move, but even the waiting phase can be a time of 
great energy in prayer, seeking counsel of 
others, taking small steps of obedience, and so
on.

I know from my own walk with Christ that there 
are times when I just need to stop and pray 
because I am so overwhelmed that I can’t even 
begin to take steps of action. I need to cast my 
cares upon Him because He cares for me. I ask Him 
for wisdom, trusting Him to give it as He 
promised He would. Then when my heart and mind 
are at peace, not because my circumstances are 
any less complex but because by grace through 
faith, I believe that God is faithful, I start 
tackling the tasks before me of that day. 
Scripture says that each day has enough trouble 
of its own, so rather than worry about tomorrow 
and all that could go wrong, I must focus as God 
gives wisdom and strength upon what needs to be 
done this day. As each step of faith and action 
is taken, wisdom, strength, and direction is 
given for the next step. Many times in life we 
will be perplexed and overwhelmed, but we must 
not become desperate, such that we demonstrate a 
lack of faith, and retreat from walking by faith. 
Even as death closes in, we can have great joy, 
peace, and hope. Christians should not be known 
for their desperation, but for their hope. (1 Peter 3:15).

Desperation, though a common condition and a 
downright spiritual epidemic, is not to be 
normal, and it is not healthy. Christians are not 
to be desperate people, for we are those who are 
to be built upon the solid Rock of Christ. Our 
lives are not built upon sinking sand; therefore, we are not those who
are sinkable, unless we, like Peter, look to the 
waves, rather than the One Who can talk to the 
waves and tell them what to do. We can 
spiritually walk on water by faith, and it is the 
devil who is the only one who needs to be 
desperate. Scripture says his time is short to wreak havoc, (Revelation 12:12),
but we have eternity to live with Jesus. 
Desperation should not characterize our lives, 
but rather, the peace which surpasses all 
understanding should guard our hearts and minds 
in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7). He alone 
can keep us in perfect peace, but we must believe 
Him that He will do that for us. Then when Satan 
assails our faith, we must rest in our faithful 
God. God is bigger than the devil, and He is 
never desperate. He is our shelter, (Psalm 61:4), 
and our shield, (Psalm 18:30), and it is in His 
shadow, (Psalm 91:1), in which we rest. God’s 
children don’t need to be desperate because our Father never is.