Hope The Churchs obsession with avoiding disappointment has given the seat of honour to the spirit of unbelief. Hope is one of the most important Christlike attitudes and values we can have in this life. It must be nurtured continuously if we are truly to discover His heart. Without hope, it is impossible to live life to its potential. God does not require blind hope, in the sense that it has no reason for being. Nor is this brand of hope mere positive thinking, pretending “all is well with the world” when all is not well. In reality, this hope is the joyful anticipation of good. It comes from discovering His nature of perfect goodness by encountering Him and His perfect promises. Hope is anchored in the revelation of Gods goodness and bubbles up from our hearts in a way that affects our perspective, attitudes and countenances. Since His goodness is the greatest absolute in existence, it is what our hearts must be tethered to for us to remain unwavering in this Kingdom reality called hope. As I pastor, I know this challenge well. We often become fearful of creating expectations that might go unfulfilled. And there is not a decent pastor on the planet who wants to frustrate Gods people with more unfulfilled promises. We face impossible situations almost on a daily basis—and none more difficult than standing with family and friends who face a great tragedy and ask why. As a result, I often hear pastors expressing concern about creating hope that will only go unfulfilled—again. I understand the reasoning, in that we have often been left to help pick up the pieces of broken and unfulfilled lives. Hype in the ministry is one of the biggest culprits. It is really good at creating expectations it is incapable of fulfilling. None of us wants to be involved in that fruitless activity. But trying to compensate for that abuse by embracing the absence of hope is absolute foolishness. It becomes a self—fulfilling prophecy—we get exactly what we expect: nothing. Protecting ourselves from disappointment is ultimately embracing unbelief. Many of us have been given an impossible assignment: to make sense out of a crisis or tragedy. While answers are often sought, they seldom help, at least not immediately. It is the heart that is hurting, not the brain. And while we try hard to offer comfort, the only real answer is the peace that passes understanding. Generally, we have to give up our right to understand in order to get that kind of peace. Putting it practically, we must become friends who love, serve, refuse to judge or condemn, all while carrying an unwavering trust in the goodness of God. People who have experienced great loss might question everything we believe or stand for. But as friends, we stay true to the revealed nature of Gods goodness, while staying in a loving role that brings comfort and peace to those in crisis. That position brings such safety into their world that eventually peace becomes their possession forever. I have watched as many try to insulate themselves from disappointment. That is an expensive choice, as they have to remove all sense of hope in order to be successful. It is a disastrous way to live. Where there is no hope, you will not find faith. I remember several years ago one of the young men in our church was called to be a possible juror in an upcoming trial. While waiting in the room with a hundred or so potential jurors, he noticed a man in a wheelchair. He went to him and asked if he could pray for him to be healed. The mans response was honest, asking, “What if I dont get healed? Our young man responded, “What if you do?” That simple shift in focus helped this gentleman return to hope. Within moments, he was out of his wheelchair giving thanks for his miracle. Hope is the beginning of the life of miracles, for it joyfully anticipates our perfect heavenly Father to display who He is—in, to and through us. Prayer Heavenly Father, with Your help, I will not protect my heart from possible disappointment. Instead, I will give myself to protect what I know of Your goodness and always believe for the best. Your Word anchors my heart in the reality of what Jesus has accomplished for me. By Your grace, I will display this hope in an infectious way, that others will place their hope in the wonderful name of Jesus. Confession Just as I have given myself to live in love, I have devoted my life to being filled with hope. Jesus is the reason for such hope, which makes my hope stable and glorious. I will live this way so that God will be glorified and so that people will find salvation in the name of Jesus. And by Gods grace, I will face each day with the joyful anticipation of good—Gods goodness revealed. Bill Johnson
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 11:50:34 +0000
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