Spreading Hope

If you were at either of our worship services on July 22, you know that the recent shooting in Colorado has affected me deeply. The personal impact on my life is not because I knew anyone involved, but rather that I see the increasing frequency of events like this as a symptom of the hopelessness that is so pervasive in our society and around the world. As we hold up the “beautiful” people and their lifestyles as the golden carrot for which we must all aspire, a hopelessness sets in that we will not measure up to their standard. As our own standard of living in this country is lifted up around the world, the reality is that most people will never reach the level of affluence that even the poorest in our country have. As we look to wealth and status for our feelings of significance and security, we become despondent when we fall short of the mark set by Hollywood or Madison Avenue or any number of other places.

According to the traditional definition of the “American Dream,” anyone in this country has the potential to succeed if they only work hard and are persistent. While that once meant self-sufficiency and home ownership, thanks to Robin Leach and his successors on reality TV, the American Dream now means that we have to have a lifestyle worthy of an A-list celebrity. A recent Providian Financial study shows that only 4% of Americans are worth over $1 million, and of that 4%, 43% of those inherited their way to millionaire status. That means that only 2.28% of Americans are self-made millionaires. Over 97% of Americans will not achieve the new American Dream. Over time, this realization leads people to become discouraged and lose hope. But, is that what our hope should be built on? Has the new American Dream become our god? If it has, then it is a god that will constantly let us down. There is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars, just don’t place your hope in the stars, but instead in the Maker of the stars.

Our hope should not come from the slim chance that we will be the next Kardashian family, but from the One who offers us a hope that will never fail us, Jesus Christ! Hope is mentioned in the Bible 174 times and “Fear Not” is mentioned 365 times. It seems that God wants us to be secure in the knowledge that in Christ we have hope. This does not mean that we will never have problems or trials in our lives, but that we have a hope built on the love of God in Jesus Christ and that is what sustains us.

Paul’s letter to the Romans is a wonderful lesson in finding hope in Christ. The Christians in Rome were undergoing persecution at the hands of the Roman authorities, but Paul encouraged them to cling fast to the hope they have even in the middle of their trials. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:1-5 NIV) Hebrews 6:19 tells us that hope is the anchor of our souls. This hope in Christ in which we can rejoice and will never be disappointed is a promise we receive from God Himself.

What, then, should our response be to a world that is increasingly without hope? Jesus said, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” (Luke 8:16 NIV) We, as the recipients of God’s grace and hope, must shine that light as a beacon to the world that there is a lasting hope that is offered to everyone.

Blessings,

Jody