Recently a statement was made about worry. It came from someone in a position of spiritual authority. Essentially it said for a Christian to worry is sin. Someone taking that position usually includes the statement, "If a Christian just had enough faith, they would not worry." The same people also hold that if the Christian just had enough faith, they would be healed of disease and illness."
Given that mentality, one could easily derive that the Apostle Paul just didn't have enough faith. Several times in Scripture Paul had to be reassured by the Lord that everything would work out in just the right way. At least twice the Lord or an angel sent from the Lord appeared to Paul saying, "Do not be afraid!" On one occasion Paul feared physical harm from the people of Corinth and once Luke wrote that all hope was lost of surviving the ship wreck that was surely coming in Acts 27. It is interesting to note that the Lord appeared to Paul informing him that he must testify in Rome. Paul was in protective custody in Jerusalem at the time. Even though he was told he would go to Rome and in fact was on his way there, Paul lost all hope of arriving there. Additionally, Paul wrote to the Corinthians informing them that things were so bad he despaired even of life.
The Apostle Paul was arguably one of the greatest Christians who ever lived. If he lost hope, despaired , and became depressed what chance does a Christian with less faith have to hope for?
Why would the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to share his depression, Luke to share hopelessness, and John the Baptist to share doubt? The answer is because we are human and every one of those conditions are part of our humanness. If the Apostle Paul suffered from these conditions (he is not the only one), there is hope for me to cling to when I fall prey to those same human frailties.
The Lord rescued Paul from his frailties and He will rescue you. His timing might not coincide with yours just as it did not coincide with Paul's but He will make a way. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have enough faith. If you are a child of God you have enough faith, but sometimes it takes a little longer to realize it.
Given that mentality, one could easily derive that the Apostle Paul just didn't have enough faith. Several times in Scripture Paul had to be reassured by the Lord that everything would work out in just the right way. At least twice the Lord or an angel sent from the Lord appeared to Paul saying, "Do not be afraid!" On one occasion Paul feared physical harm from the people of Corinth and once Luke wrote that all hope was lost of surviving the ship wreck that was surely coming in Acts 27. It is interesting to note that the Lord appeared to Paul informing him that he must testify in Rome. Paul was in protective custody in Jerusalem at the time. Even though he was told he would go to Rome and in fact was on his way there, Paul lost all hope of arriving there. Additionally, Paul wrote to the Corinthians informing them that things were so bad he despaired even of life.
The Apostle Paul was arguably one of the greatest Christians who ever lived. If he lost hope, despaired , and became depressed what chance does a Christian with less faith have to hope for?
Why would the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to share his depression, Luke to share hopelessness, and John the Baptist to share doubt? The answer is because we are human and every one of those conditions are part of our humanness. If the Apostle Paul suffered from these conditions (he is not the only one), there is hope for me to cling to when I fall prey to those same human frailties.
The Lord rescued Paul from his frailties and He will rescue you. His timing might not coincide with yours just as it did not coincide with Paul's but He will make a way. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have enough faith. If you are a child of God you have enough faith, but sometimes it takes a little longer to realize it.
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