We are Pressed Out

 2 Corinth 1:8
…we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

Paul despaired of his physical life. He was spent and exhausted from the physical abuse he was enduring because of proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God who the Jews put to death. He was a wanted man who stood up to the religious leaders of his day. Most of us who live in the US aren’t facing physical persecution. That day may some day come, but we still live in the land of the free, a country that, for the most part, allows us to believe in Christ. The persecution and pressure we face today is the battle of truth. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to stand for the truth of God’s word without being called a bigot, racist, or narrow-minded. The pressure is on to conform to the philosophy of this world. To adapt to the anti-God culture of the woke ideology. Christians are faced with ridicule and are called haters if they dare to stand for the truth of God’s word. In times like these, we need to call on God to give us strength and wisdom to face problems with love and grace. Even when under pressure, we can show the love of God in a messed up world.