Day 2: Share Hope
The problem with people is that they will at some point let you down. The problem with every one of us is that, at some point, we will let other people down, too. We may not do it intentionally, but the truth is that our incompetence eventually catches up to our ability to pretend.
What is true about God, however, is that his level of competence overcomes every one of our weaknesses.
Be honest with yourself for a moment as you dwell on this question: Is there anyone in your life in whom you have given up hope? Take some time to think about this.
One of the biggest weaknesses that Christians have is a propensity to forget about and give up on people. We get lost in a sea of projects, volunteer opportunities at church, family issues, renovations, travels and late night Facebook arguments with a crazy uncle. And what happens is that the further and further we remove ourselves from people, the easier it is to forget about them and get swallowed up by our day-to-day schedules.
The reality is that the people we typically remove ourselves from are the ones who have let us down and might be experiencing a season of wandering. The people who are wandering are the very people God wants back in the family.
We have to believe the words of 1 Peter 1:3:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
And we have to believe that the resurrection of Jesus was never supposed to be merely a ticket to Heaven. Instead, it means followers of Jesus are called to raise the dead in a world that doesn’t always understand.
So, then, we have to believe that we, as Christians who are agents of the family of God, must allow God’s competence to overcome our habit of giving up hope in people.
Ask yourself this question again: In whom have you given up hope? How’s that person’s relationship with God’s family?
If you’re anything like most people, you make mistakes. So, it is encouraging to know that, in spite of our own problems, God has given us new birth. As you go about your day, remember that you were given hope, not to keep to yourself, but to share with others. And though it is certainly most difficult to bring hope to someone who has let you down, it is the very thing God expects his sons and daughters to do. In the middle of a moment of quiet today, begin this challenge by praying for the person who came to mind when you read this devotional. May God give you the ability to bring the dead to life!
Written by Nathan Jones ‘07, Associate Minister at New Lenox Campus of Parkview Christian Church in Chicago