Is despair a hallmark of the 21st century?

Every era has its hallmarks, and the older you get, the more prone you are to look back and think of days gone by as “the good old days.”

As we push toward two full decades into a new century, it’s nearly startling how despair has gripped so many people. Whether it’s experiencing loss and ruin from a battered economy, beleaguered with relationship woes, or bruised by health concerns, there appears to be a growing tide of despair in many parts of the globe.

Dr. E.L. Kersten is trying to cash in on this wave of darkness by encouraging people to wallow in their despair …

Some (in fact, many) would say that gone are America’s glory days. The “Have A Nice Day” yellow smiley faces of the 70s, the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” anthems of the 80s, and the “Just Do It” slogans of the 90s don’t seem to hold the same sway in the troubled years we’ve met so far in this 21st century.

“Snappy jingles and yellow smileys have given way to orange alerts and pink slips,” observe the editors of Homiletics. “Enter a company with products for the times in which we live — Depair, Inc. While some companies peddle pithy motivational materials, Despair, Inc. markets a line of ‘demotivational’ products, all designed to feed the collective angst of a depressed populace.”

A quick survey of their website reveals such “un”inspiring products as a collection of trinkets and treasures called Demotivators™, including a cup embossed with the downer, “This cup is half empty.” You can also shop from a clothing line called DespairWear™, with T-shirts bearing such messages of melancholy like, “I expected times like these. I just didn’t expect they’d be so bad, so long or so frequent.” The fashion line’s motto is, “Clothes make the man. These clothes make the man sad.” Or, if it’s a piece of depressingly decorative wall you’re looking for, consider their poster of a lightning storm which reads, “Every cloud has a silver lining … but lightning kills hundreds of people each year who are trying to find it,” or another with a dark sunset which reads, “Despair: It always gets darkest just before it fades to pitch black.”

Says Despair.com’s founder, Dr. E.L. Kersten, “Whether you’re a pessimist, an underachiever, or a chronic failure, I personally offer my unconditional guarantee that Demotivators™ will truly inspire you to new lows!”

Of all the people who had reason to entertain the thought of despair, the Apostle Paul would rank among the top of them. Wanting only to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, his life would be brutally battered just because of His obedience to Jesus. Paul admits that he was tempted to despair, but instead of allowing himself to lose hope, this is how he viewed his troubled times …

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you,” 2 Corinthians 4:8-12.

Greater than the trials of his day was the grace of God, which enabled Paul to look beyond the severity of his troubles to a greater truth …

“But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, ‘I believed in God, so I spoke.’ We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory,” 2 Corinthians 4:13-15.

Instead of wallowing in despair, this is how Paul overcame the depressing, painful challenges in his life …

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever,” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

Are you tempted to despair? You do not have to wallow in your troubles! Instead, call on the Lord and He will help you, even in the midst of trying to times …

“The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!” psalm 34:17-20.

Scotty