L
Lost_Sheep
Guest
What exactly is it and how do I know if I’m committing it or not? 
- Status
T
thistle
Guest
CCC 2091 The first commandment is also concerned with sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption:What exactly is it and how do I know if I’m committing it or not?
By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God’s goodness, to his justice - for the Lord is faithful to his promises - and to his mercy.
H
HoldingGodsHand
Guest
I never knew despair was a sin. I have been through much despair in all my faith struggles. I despaired so much to the point I wanted to give up. Well I did give up, but not for long. Never did I think I was committing a sin. I still sometimes have moments of despair, though my faith is better now.
A
Aelred_Minor
Guest
I’ve also struggled with despair, but my thinking on it has been the opposite. I see it as the premier sin, the sin worse than all other sins and to which all other sins lead, the real essence of Hell. There is no greater rejection of God then that by which a man consents to sink eternally into the filth of sin with no hope of God pulling him out.
R
Regina_Love
Guest
Despair is the sin of living as if GOD is too little, and too weak to deal with your sin or your situation. It is the lie that GOD is not enough. It is the lie that all is hopeless, so embrace your self hate, and destruction of all people & things. It is a rejection of all of God’s love & sacrifices for us! Despair is the rotten lie that, "since GOD didn’t do it MY WAY, He is not good. He is not GOD.
J
Jozefo
Guest
I’m glad this subject came up. The other posts help clarify or me what despair is. I was afraid I had fallen into despair, but realize now that I still have hope, faith, and love for God. Rather my despair has been in mankind. I don’t know if that’s a sin.
J
JRKH
Guest
In these kinds of cases it is helpful to recognize that “sin” is not simply the disobedience to some command. The words from both Hebrew and Greek that we translate as “sin” have a broader meaning and application that also embraces the idea of error.
Sin = Chata’ (Hebrew)
to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness
Sin = Hamartano, (Greek)
To be without a share in; to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor; to do or go wrong; to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin
Note in both of these definitions the idea of losing one’s way - of going wrong…missing the mark…
Falling into the sin of despair is something more along this line than it is a sin of violating God’s Law in some way…
As to the OP’s question - others have given excellent answers.
It is largely a loss of hope…a giving up on God’s mercy and goodness…And I also think that it is partly a sin of “selling ourselves short”.
Often times someone will say “I know God forgives, but I’m just too bad…God could never forgive me”.
The problem with this statement - and this is at the root of what despair really is - is that the person is condemning themselves. They are not even giving God a say in the matter. So in a sense despair is related to pride.
A proper humility and reliance on God’s mercy is the proper antidote to this sort of error.
Peace
James
L
Lost_Sheep
Guest
Is that the same as believing “God does not care about me” ?
J
JRKH
Guest
Well - maybe not the “same thing” but certainly similar and in the same general category.
Peace
James
R
Rebecca_BE
Guest
I think (at least in my case) despair is related to depression. I am on medication, but some times are better than other times. When its really bad, I frequently say, “Jesus, help!” I may not feel any faith or love but I keep saying it and things slowly get better. Deo Gratia
C
cheezey
Guest
What exactly is it and how do I know if I’m committing it or not?
Just wondering; doesn’t sin involve intent?
I have despaired. It was never my intention. Despair stinks. I didn’t choose it. Nor did I ever lose hope, faith or love in Him. Wasn’t even a thought in my head to do so. Never ceased asking for forgiveness. Never ceased believing He would help me somehow, though, admittedly, I was a bit curious as to how He would help. I was never purposefully contrary to His goodness; I never thought for a moment that He would fail me or be unfaithful to His promises.
I never ceased asking for His mercy either, because again, despair really stinks.
Never thought it to be a sin.
A
Aelred_Minor
Guest
It sounds to me like you are saying “I despaired, but was careful not to despair in any way while I was doing it.”
By despair we do not mean mere emotional distress no matter how terrible, but the abandonment of hope.
L
Lost_Sheep
Guest
So when Christ was on the cross and said “My God, why have you abandoned me?” wasn’t he, in effect, committing the sin of despair?
J
Jozefo
Guest
Or was he preaching by quoting the Psalms?
T
thistle
Guest
Are you sure it was despair and not depression. Despair is a sin. Depression is not a sin.
DESPAIR. The sin by which a person gives up all hope of salvation or of the means necessary to reach heaven. It is therefore not mere anxiety about the future or fear that one may be lost. It is rather a deliberate yielding to the idea that human nature cannot co-operate with God’s grace, or that the despairing person is too wicked to be saved, or that God has cast one away. It is a grave crime against God’s goodness. Experience also shows that a tendency to despair can seriously injure one’s physical and mental health, and ironically can lead to all kinds of sinful indulgence. (Etym. Latin de, the opposite of + sperare, to hope: desperatio, hopelessness, despair.)
DEPRESSION. A term used by spiritual writers to describe a state of despondency during which a person feels inadequate, tends to withdraw from others, lacks response to normal stimulation, and is pessimistic about the future. Theologians of asceticism warn about giving in to moods of depression, which they describe as the characteristic of temptation of those who strive after sanctity.
- Status