Biblical Realism About Life and Suffering

Remember that the same apostle who was inspired by God to write a passage like Philippians 4:4ff. "Rejoice in the Lord always...do not be anxious about anything....." also candidly wrote, under the same divine inspiration, "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death...." (2 Cor. 1:8b-9a). It takes a deep wisdom and reality-tempered spiritual maturity to come to see how both perspectives are part of the life of faith.