2 Cor. 1:8 (NIV) - For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

I find it amazing how much the Apostle Paul struggled in his Christian walk. I find it even more amazing that he was willing to admit those struggles…in writing! For example, in 2 Cor. 1:8 he tells us that when he was in Asia, he  was filled with despair and helplessness - “burdened excessively beyond his own strength, despairing of life.” It sounds like he was totally depressed! While we are not sure what caused his pain (e.g. physical suffering, emotional collapse, some combination of the two, or something else), we do know that it brought Paul to the end of himself.

I find this truth incredibly encouraging, not that I find joy in the pain of others (that wouldn’t be very healthy now, would it?), but I find hope in knowing that even the most mature believers can struggle so deeply at times. I also find it equally encouraging to learn from the rest of this passage how God was able to rescue them from the end of their ropes, how he used others to help, and how He taught them so much when they were at the end of themselves (2 Cor. 1: 9-11) And then I wonder, why are we, as believers, so often reluctant to admit when we are at the end of our ropes - burdened, helpless, despairing of even life itself? Why are we so hesitant to let others into our struggle who will pray for us and help us to hold on? Why are we so afraid of the end of our rope? Could it be that the end of our rope is actually the beginning of His?

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