1) Take to heart that hopeless looking circumstances regarding tomorrow can shatter false hopes about today, tomorrow, and about life itself.  Life is ultimately temporary- no matter how long it is or what quality it is lived at.  It is great to have a good job, a family, useful projects to do, etc.  Yet we need a hope that is not dependent on such things.  Such a hope exists.

2)  It is also good to learn to be deaf to human pressure.  Being down and out by the world’s general estimation can help teach a person not to value man’s opinions and man’s applause.  We should not disregard all of man’s counsel necessarily, but we should rather filter out counsel and opinions stemming from man’s pride and his bad or inordinate values.  If someone never amounts to much in man’s eyes and/or dies alone and forsaken by man, that is an exceedingly small thing if they are pleasing to God.  And if someone is not pleasing to God, then how could what they accomplish, or how could any support they have from people, be of any real ultimate value?  Just the fact that many would indeed be offended and/or feel depressed to hear this proves they have not received this lesson as they ought to.  

Mathew 16:26: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  

3)  Recognizing that we still need to manage life and get through life is only sane and rational.  It is by no means a sign of godliness to not live in accordance with this recognition.  Stagnation in life, lack of activity, lack of purpose in day to day activity, etc. help no one- not even in seeking God.  

4)  Seek to help those who are needier than you are.  There surely are people like that- at least in certain ways.  Identify real needs and real pains of those in your life and those that may come to your attention.  Give what you can to meet these needs and to soothe these pains.  

5) Do some work, somehow.  Even if someone is limited in some way or in most ways, they can still surely do something.  Where there is a will, there is a way.  

Proverbs 11:24-25: “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet (fit), but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”  

Giving and working can do wonders to a person’s psychology- even if they can only be done a little bit.  People who limit Christian suffering to a vague concept of persecution don’t consider how Christian boundaries being kept can actually limit a person and prevent them from being in social situations and/or jobs which really might help them to be happier for a while.  Yet there is always some righteous work that needs to be done which others are not lining up to do; and there are always needy people whom others are not lining up to help.  

6)  Going through open doors in these ways can lead to the breakthrough the despairing person so greatly needs.  It probably won’t happen right away though.  Persistence and perseverance are crucial.

7)  Never, ever complain.  It accomplishes nothing.  It is also a sin that provokes God.  The Bible has a lot to say about complainers.  None of it is good.

8) Yet recognize that seeking help from people is not necessarily complaining.  Whether it’s a physical injury, help accomplishing a task, psychological help, or spiritual help.  If you’re not looking to take your despair out on others or trying to get others to pity you, it’s not wrong then to inform someone who is in a position to help you of a problem that you honestly think you need assistance with.  

9)  Take to heart that God never promised that tomorrow would be better or worse.  The same goes for every single day.  Those who think that it works like that are set up for disappointment and further despair.  

10)  Take to heart the long haul and never lose sight of the end of that (which is Judgment Day).  Even life at its best is still in a very real way a highway to death; and even life at its worst is a process of redemption from sin for those who have entered into God’s covenant in Christ.  For these, what would have otherwise been the highway to eternal death instead prepares them for resurrection and everlasting life and glory. 

Proverbs 16:17: “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.”

Galatians 1:4-5: “Who (Jesus Christ) gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

Proverbs 23:17-18: “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.  For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.”

Psalm 31:5: “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”

Aaron’s email is: [email protected]

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