(2 Corinthians 4:8) Hard-pressed but not crushed. Perplexed but not in despair.

I can guarantee you one thing in life, you will be hard-pressed and perplexed at times. I have had hard-times many, many times through my life. During those times, I thought for sure that I would be crushed and collapse into despair. But, God in his faithfulness has always led me through many deep swamps filled with snakes. 

It is always through the supernatural grace of God that we have the victory! 

The heart of our Christian life is paradoxical—it seems contradictory when we talk about it. For example, how can our life of faith contain struggle and victory at the same time? That doesn’t make sense!  

Well, if we try to simply understand the ways of the kingdom of God through pure rationality, we will fail. The fact is, we are often full of anxiety because we obsess over trying to figure everything out in life. We feel out of control unless we can rationally put all the puzzle pieces together.

Too many of us wrongly think in black and white categories—things must be this way or that way. The truth is, we can only mature in our Christian life when we embrace the tension of being both sinners and saints.  

When our minds are transformed by the Holy Spirit, however, we think differently. We have the mind of Christ. The ways of the kingdom of God are radical, not of this world. You’re right, “praying for our enemies” just doesn’t make sense to our natural minds.

This is the good news: When we experience hard-times, we will not be crushed. And when we feel confused and overwhelmed, we will not fall into hopelessness.

Don’t get hung up about those deep swamps filled with snakes you will have to walk through, for Jesus is our victory!