Finding your way out of hopelessness

For us single folks, a sense of hopelessness can come from societal stress, like we've all experienced the past three years, or from our own personal trials and troubles. When I was battling cancer decades ago, I felt at an all-time low. Years later, when I couldn't find a job for a year and a half, I felt despondent too.

So I wrote January's article from experience. I learned some important lessons then and since. I'm no genius or saint. I hurt like everybody else, and I don't have all the answers. But when I learn something worthwhile, I want to share it with you, trying to help. That's what this newsletter and website are about.

Always—and always—our lives are a testimony to God's grace and lovingkindness. He is the guiding light in times of darkness. Here are some thoughts about finding your way out of hopelessness.

There is One

You cannot hold the ramparts.
The drawbridge has been crossed.
Your forces scatter in retreat;
the battle will be lost.

But there is one Defender
who alone can turn the tide.
He raises high his righteous sword
and rushes to your side.

There is One who gives you courage,
as He wipes away your tears.
His touch is like a healing balm
that overcomes your fears.

There is One who conquers every foe
that you will ever face.
He saved your soul so long ago
and keeps it with his grace.

There is One who paid a price so that
your life could be restored.
You are safe inside his kingdom.
He is Jesus Christ the Lord.

~ Jack Zavada, www.inspiration-for-singles.com, 2022 ~

An entire book about…you?

And I promised myself something else: I would make it about the most frustrating problems singles face, singles exactly like you.

I believe I delivered on both those promises. Hope for Hurting Singles covers the emotional and spiritual challenges that tie you up in knots.

I believe you'll recognize yourself in this book. It offers down-to-earth answers that worked for me and other singles on issues like

• Loneliness
  
• 
Depression

  
• Disappointment

  
• Bitterness
  
• 
Low self-esteem

  
• Anger
  
• 
Grief

You may have skipped over this message for years, thinking you've got your life pretty well together. But the truth is that even the wisest of us is always learning. And when you can learn something useful from somebody else's trouble, that's a real blessing.

Hope for Hurting Singles is a Christ-centered book. I might have sold more copies if I had made it a secular self-help book, but then it would have been a lie. I got where I am today only through the grace of Jesus. My goal is to glorify him, not myself.

So why not start 2022 with something that can lay a foundation of hope for the rest of your life? Order Hope for Hurting Singles today!

January QOTM: Surprising, considering

Here's wisdom from preacher, evangelist, seminary president and author Charles Spurgeon:

Spurgeon amassed a fortune—which he spent helping widows, orphans, and the poor—but never put his faith in money. He became internationally known, but never put his faith in fame. Instead, he stubbornly grounded his life in Christ, who got him through every sort of personal and professional tragedy.

Where do you put your hope? In earthly things like career, money, or possessions? Or do you focus on Jesus, who draws you to himself so you can live with him forever in heaven?

Charles Spurgeon got it right. Are you on the same path?

Can you come back from being brokenhearted?

But with Jesus there is good news. Listen to these words from Psalm 34:18:

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

We live in a disillusioning world. Kind, gentle people are often crushed, while the arrogant and cruel go about their merry way, leaving pain in their wake. Sometimes it seems the more compassionate you are, the more you suffer.

Jesus knows about that firsthand. He loved people and was ridiculed and murdered for it. He knows the disappointment of reaching out and being rejected. He knows how it feels to be odd, someone who doesn't belong.

That's why he is close to the brokenhearted. That's why he wants to save you if you're crushed in spirit.

He is your hope and your future. Read how he rescues the brokenhearted.

"This isn't what I signed up for…"

Then, when hardship comes, that pastor says the person doesn't have enough faith, or the right kind of faith, or that God is chastising them for some unconfessed sin.

The truth, the Bible truth, is that Jesus warned us about trouble. Christianity does not make you immune to problems, period.

And yet, it's the only way to live. Our lives here on earth are just an eye blink compared to the eternity to come. Life, forevermore with Jesus Christ? That, single friend, is what we're headed for. Our home is with him, not here. Keep that in mind when trials come.

So take heart today. Put your hope where it belongs, not in relationships, your job, politicians, or smooth-talking televangelists. Put it in Jesus.

I enjoy reading your comments. They'll zip right into my personal inbox when you use our hacker-proof contact form. You'll get a real, relevant reply from me, not a preprogrammed email.

As we step into 2022, let's all resolve to take a mature view of our Christian walk. Knowing that problems are inevitable takes some of the sting out of them. When you can say, "Jesus and I have handled everything up to now. We can handle this too," you're on your way to a happier existence.

We're starting the new year off right by relying on The Reliable One. In upcoming issues, we'll explore how a Christcentric perspective will give you newfound confidence.

Until February, then, God bless you!

Jack Zavada
PS: Not a Christian? Find out how to become one!