Hope

There are two kinds of hope: Natural Hope & Christian Hope.

Natural hope is about wishing and expecting. Wishful thinking is not rooted in reality. I’m not entirely sure what you expect out of life, but I can tell you something true of all life: wealth, honor, power, and pleasure are never enough.What brings lasting value is bigger than our dreams. Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, that has been given to us (Romans 8:5). Here is the thing that most people never get, including most Christians: The hope Paul is speaking about is not a feeling. The hope he is speaking of has a name and a face - Jesus. To have hope is to have Jesus. And when one truly has Jesus, not just knows of him, they are able to live differently.

I’ve learned something working with youth, that’s pretty much true of all of us, especially in this current hyper virtual world: Show me your smart phone or computer and I’ll tell you what you’re living for. It is obviously a particularly tough time in human history. Many people are worried, unsure as to how to act and often undermined by fear. Have you noticed how emotions have escalated the longer we endure this pandemic? In the early stages, we saw examples of people behaving irresponsibly in panic buying or hoarding. Some have even tried to spiritualize the problem as a divinely sent plague, naively believing that religious faith alone will protect them from contracting the virus.

This pandemic has been quite telling about many things. One thing is how people are responding to one another. Spending too much time together has brought out some serious friction in marriages and family life. And then there are the situations where people were able to spend time together, enjoyed it, and have had that taken away. There is an emptiness as a result.

Let me zoom back in on Hope is not disappointing. Disappointment is not that abnormal. And it’s okay to be disappointed when we lose someone or something that we either loved or prized. But let me share the ultimate truth of the Good News with you. I believe that those who can get past the hope for when we get back to normal and can instead zone in on really trusting God, they will experience a joy which rests beyond normal, a joy the world cannot give. When we trust in God realize he isn’t going to let you or I settle for less. You see, God is the source for your longing and God is ultimately the longing. Do you know what this reveals about God’s love? If our hope is in God, our hope is in someone who has no rival.

Through Jesus Christ we are saved. That is The Hope! Do you want him or are you fixated on an earthly outcome. What are you hoping for? God says throughout the Bible: you don’t need to know the how, you need to know who I am! Hope is not a good feeling. Hope is trust in God extended into the future. As the world begins to unravel and disappoints you (and it will), pay close attention to the Gospel and what Jesus does and doesn’t promise you. Spoiler alert, not everything is going to work out the way you or I envision it. We will have pain and disappointment. What does Jesus promise: Take heart, because I have overcome this world… Every tear will be wiped away … Everyone who has died will rise from their grave. And through all the pain and suffering, through all your questions, fear and doubt, I will be with you always.