Hope…
I’ve been reminded yet again that Life can be Hard. That reality still surprises me sometimes, as I know it does others. We Christians seem especially susceptible to the surprise attack of life’s difficulties…
We struggle with this reality because we were raised with limits and boundaries that promised certain rewards for both good and bad behavior. You know the ones: “be a good boy and we’ll stop for ice cream”, “do that again and you’ll get a spanking (or a time out)”, “study hard and you’ll get good grades”. All of these boundaries, set lovingly, are exactly what we need as we grow up - they are just and right. The problem is life isn’t required to adhere to our rules.
Sometimes you study hard only to get mediocre grades and just because you’re good doesn’t always mean there’ll be enough time or money to get the ice cream. We all know people that have exercised everyday and eaten right but still end up fighting some disease that desires to take their lives. Its just reality - life doesn’t have to play by the rules.
At some point we have to stop being surprised and upset by the potential of what life may hand us. There is a reality that supersedes the “life is hard” reality; it’s the reality of hope. Hope that there is a way of escape; hope that there is a cure, hope that stands in the midst of any difficulty. Hope that can only be produced by the very difficulty it stands against in hope - “whew”…
Listen to what Paul writes:
… we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character,hope, now hope does not disappoint … Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV)
Paul tells us that the hope produced by tribulation (difficulty) doesn’t disappoint. Our hope can pull us into another level of possibility, opportunity, and probability in spite of outside evidence. Not merely magical thinking, but actual hope-filled optimism.
Coming to faith in The Father doesn’t protect us from the challenges of life, but it can mitigate the hopelessness associated with those challenges. Hope is a powerful weapon that can be used against the sometimes-sudden attacks of life…
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“Hope - Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.”BARACK OBAMA (2004 DNC)
“The word which God has written on the brow of every man is Hope.” VICTOR HUGO (Les Misérables)
