Trying to find your way in this maze of a world creates desperation.

For those raised in the church, this might not have the same impact as it does on those whose lives were desperate before they encountered Jesus. But for the prodigals who experienced the disappointments of a worldly life, this might bring up painful memories.

Regardless of your experience wandering through life, this is an attempt to illustrate the answer to that desperation we were drowning in.

I was in prayer, and I remembered the exhortation not to forget the day my spirit was raised from darkness. I frequently remember that day as just another historical event in my life. This time, however, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the pain of being lost and in a place I had never thought I would be. Or having lived the kind of life that led to that moment. 

That moment came back in a similar emotional state. I didn’t know how to change my life. I was twenty-five and clueless about which way to turn. Everything I tried turned out to be a dead end. 

At this point, I was a Coast Guardsman. I was one of the older guys in my department, on the bridge plotting our course on the charts. As long as I was engaged in my work, I went through the motions like everyone else on the ship. But when I was alone, I was painfully alone and aware of my life choices.

But God had always been there, waiting for me to recognize His presence and love. One friend was telling me about Jesus. She had her church praying for me, and we communicated back and forth through letters. 

Nancy, who is now my wife, diligently told me about Jesus. For some reason, her words never penetrated my mind. Eventually, however, I read a couple of the books she sent me, which began to offer a lifeline. I didn’t know how Jesus could save me from the loneliness; I didn’t care. He replaced the pain, continual disappointments, and self-incrimination with a peace that I never thought I qualified for.

The loneliness memories reminded me of how profound the bitterness and sense of hopelessness had been. These intense emotions were instantly gone. That relief was so strong that afternoon that I cried for a long time.

Recently, I wrote a post about the difference between loneliness and boredom. I realized that the loneliness of a believer is much different from the loneliness of the lost. I made the point to spend that period of boredom or loneliness resting in the stillness and listening for His voice.

For a non-believer, true loneliness is exponentially more painful. Because in that loneliness, there is no hope of escaping it. It feels as though they are trapped, and it is compounded by a fear that there is no one to save them except for themselves. They feel lost because their mistakes put them in the situation in the first place. So, how can they overcome the fear and hopelessness they are trapped in?

The chasm of fear separates the hopeless from the hopeful. This description is stark. But hopelessness is not limited to the desperate. Many who are not desperate are just as hopeless. These are the comfortable ones whose nests are filled with all the toys and distractions. They are hopeless. They just don’t feel anything like desperate. They are comfortably numb.

These people need prayer as much as the most desperate homeless person living on the streets. There is a distinction here between the lost and those whom God has blessed. 

There is a term for this. It’s called Obscured Jeopardy Syndrome.

Finally, I realized the importance of not forgetting that moment when my spirit was reborn. And, perhaps, more importantly, the price Jesus paid for my new “hopeful” life.

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