I've given this topic a lot of thought over the last few days. To the point where I wonder if we are to blame in some way for the lack of hope that so many people experience. I mean, should we not be the carriers of hope? The ones who believe in spite of everything? I'm not implying that we are perfect in our resolve to believe. I'm simply saying that there should be something inside of us that refuses to quit. If the Early Church could carry hope for the world in the midst of the tribulation they experienced, then why would the church of today not carry at least the same amount?
Here's why I believe that we are to blame. At least in part:
The distant disapproving deity that has been espoused by much of Christendom is a far cry from the Father embodied in Jesus. Much of what we have proclaimed and defended is not even close to the "Good Tidings of Great Joy" that was meant to be for all people. Jesus' revelation of His Father was one of incredible love for this world. A message about the goodness of God that sounds an awful lot like a Father who runs to us in our shame and welcomes us home. A God who is not far from us at all. When you take this understanding and place it against much of what we have preached and taught it's easy to understand why people get confused. Why there are more people filled with fear and dread rather than joy and peace. Why I have had countless conversations where God was a source of pain rather than the source of hope.
You may not agree with me in this assessment but I ask that you at least hear me out. For many people in this world the story of God's love has been drowned out by messages of wrath. Rather than coming to believe in a God who has done everything to reconcile the world, they are afraid of a God who cannot wait to get even. Pronouncements of future judgement, misunderstandings about history and the future, and misinterpretations of what we discover in the Scriptures have not only kept people skeptical but has also robbed them of all hope. How can they hope in a God that they cannot trust? How can they find peace when it seems like all they hear is judgement? How can they be assured of goodness when all they feel is condemnation?
We have done a poor job carrying the message of hope that the Apostles entrusted to us. The fact is that there are so many people IN the church who don't seem to have hope much less those who are outside of our walls of fellowship. A hope that we need to recapture and recapitulate to the world and one another. Hope is not a commodity to be bought and sold but a crucial element to abundant life. A key ingredient to a life well lived. A foundational element to our faith. Without hope, what do we hope for?
Look around you. See how many people struggle in darkness, depression, and despair. There is so much loneliness in our world. More and more people whose only hope is found in a prescription, a drug, the bottle, or a failing relationship. The number of people who have been prescribed anti-depressants has sky rocketed over the last few years. So many people who are trapped in a fog trying to get a handle on life. With nowhere (it seems) left to turn. We tell them that faith in Jesus can help, but these numbers are also reflective of those of us in the church. Something must be done. Hope has to be restored.
I'm not saying that I have the answer. What I am saying is that when we talk about our Heavenly Father, HOPE should be present. HOPE should fill each and every heart. Why? Because He is the source of all HOPE.
I know for myself that when my understanding of the Father changed so did my level of hope. I was no longer afraid. His love pushes all fear aside and helps us to become grounded in who He is. The more I grew in this understanding the more hope I carried. Becoming exactly as the Apostle Paul stated: Overflowing with Confident Hope through the Power of the Holy Spirit. It didn't happen overnight. It took a lot of deconstructing. However, I'm here to say that there is hope. There is a way to believe in God that brings incredible hope. A way to read and understand the Bible that doesn't leave us fearful or questioning His character. An experience of the Father that makes you feel like a son. A confidence that cannot be shaken. While I may not understand everything in life, I do believe that God loves us more than we can possibly imagine. That His love never fails, never gives up, and never runs out. A love that is full of new mercies every day.
You may think that this is foolish but I ask you to look into your own life. Can you speak of the Father's love over your own life with certainty? Do you know His peace through each and every situation of life or do you believe He creates the chaos that you often feel? Have you been able to fully surrender to the love of God or do you still do everything out of fear? Are you doing everything out of a sense of obligation or because you know that it's a part of your sonship? Is your hope in Him or in your performance? Still think it's foolish?
All I know is that the Early Church carried this amazing hope. A product of the Good News and the abiding faith of Jesus in them. An inheritance that they would not squander. May we be found as faithful to this hope. It's who we are.
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