That is exactly how I see it. I test my proximity to God by the level of despair I have. This despairometer helps gauge God's Presence in my life. Whenever I begin to feel a sense of despair, I remind myself of God!
I ask myself, if I have God then I cannot have despair. The despairometer should indicate a zero level. How come then I am feeling, let's say level 20/100 despair? Then surely God is 80% in my life and this 20% is pure ungodliness, which is the foundation of all of my despair.
I cannot eliminate despair, the same way I cannot eliminate heat or cold. However, what I can do, is use an air conditioned environment, or a heated one to combat the respective energy level. So I do the same with my despair. I pray more, I fast more, I put God First! So if despair is like the burning heat of summer, then as I turn the air condition on, I also turn God on to eliminate despair! Figuratively of course.
This turning on the switch in my environment, is the act of Christianizing My Soul! Christening of my person is the new birth in identifying with God, every single moment in my day.
The bottom line is that, there is ZERO TOLERANCE FOR DEPAIR for the one that has God, that puts God First, and thus is First on God's list.
I leave everything to God. Even my daily bread. Even it's abscence. But never risk losing God for a piece of bread. I will not die of despair, but of the absence of God from my life, which will keep me in despair, being its cause, and if it remains, then surely I shall die. What a wasted life!
Thou shall not Despair - my eleventh commandment.
But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4 ESV)
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV)
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