Hope Floats

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

-- Psalm 43:5

It was a tiny investment that purchased hope for millions.

Still haunted years later by the poor health conditions he encountered in the South Pacific during World War II, Dr. William B. Walsh persuaded President Dwight D. Eisenhower to sell him a navy hospital ship for just $150. And with the help of corporate and private contributions, the SS Hope was soon born.

The refurbished vessel’s maiden voyage involved the training of local healthcare professionals and the delivery of medical care around the globe. Gradually, the private volunteer organization called Project Hope expanded its impact and spread optimism for better days ahead. And over the next 60 years, it worked behind the Iron Curtain to improve health services for Polish children, launched HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Africa, helped victims of the Bosnian War, and provided humanitarian relief to those affected by Hurricane Katrina and the Indonesia tsunami.

Most of us have never personally experienced the devastation of a tsunami, the effects of an Ebola outbreak or the ravages of a civil war. But we’ve all felt from time to time like our situation had spiraled out of control. And maybe you feel like that today — and for good reason. But have hope: God has it covered.  

This is a fundamental truth that every Christ-follower should embrace. But one reason we don't always feel his influence is because we can't see the big picture. We don’t know the life-changing people and situations that he’ll introduce to our existence. We also don’t have his vantage point of knowing what’s around the corner and miles up the road. Moreover, it’s hard for us to see a greater purpose in our lives when we're going through the pain of unemployment, lingering illness, family problems or even death. But God is in control. And for those who trust and follow him, he offers this assurance:

"Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you,” says our Creator. “Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Has life become a tidal wave of depression and frustration? Don’t ever lose hope. God knows what we need — and he knows it long before we ask him for help.

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,” we read in the Book of Micah. “I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”

A Matter of Trust

The Lord detests lying lips,
    but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

-- Proverbs 12:22

“With lies you may go ahead in the world,” says the Russian proverb, “but you can never go back.”

It’s a reminder that credibility and character are important. And that seems to be the public’s message to the news media following several high-profile scandals.

For the week of March 18, 2019, CNN — a network long criticized as purveyors

so-called fake news — lost a remarkable 27 percent of its primetime viewers from the same period in 2018. About four years earlier, Brian Williams lost his job as anchor of NBC Nightly News after fabricating reports related to the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina. And in 2004, USA Today’s Pulitzer-nominated correspondent Jack Kelley quit after he was accused of concocting source material and writing largely fictional articles.

These breaches of the public trust have consequences. A 2018 Gallup poll reveals that 62 percent of U.S. adults believe that the news they see in newspapers, on television or hear on the radio is biased, and 44 percent say it’s inaccurate.

Once you’ve lost your credibility through lies, deception and betrayal, how can you ever retrieve it? That’s the question King Solomon seems to pose to the media — and to us — through Proverbs 11:3: “People who can’t be trusted are destroyed by their own dishonesty.” And there are several ways we can hurt ourselves and others through our questionable words and deeds. For example, flattery is a form of lying since it tells people what they want to hear — regardless of its veracity. We can also be dishonest through exaggeration. Likewise, cheating (or fudging the truth so we come out on top) is a particularly serious issue since it can impact personal and business relationships. And when we lie, we break our promises. Jesus touched on this by directing his followers to avoid the common practice of using God’s name to lend credibility to their words.

Such dishonesty is like a heavy chain that weighs us down and holds us back. But the truth — and the clear conscience that accompanies it — is liberating. However, walking the walk after talking the talk can be difficult. And conveying honesty and integrity can even cost us in certain situations. As Christ-followers, however, we must always reflect the words and deeds of our Creator, who’s always truthful, faithful and trustworthy.

“God is not a man, so He doesn’t lie,” we read in Numbers 23:19. “He’s not human, so he doesn’t change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

That’s what’s said about Him. So what do our words and deeds say about us?

Better Days Ahead

Jesus said to his followers, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

-- Mark 4:40

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

It’s been about 2,000 years since Jesus’ first disciples heard this great declaration of truth and wisdom. And isn’t it just as relevant to modern-day Christ-followers? Surf the web and turn on the TV, and just try to avoid the stormy headlines about political scandals, wild weather and unrest in the Middle East.

Whether they’re literal or figurative, we’re always facing a storm of one kind or another. And there’s no escape — even after we’ve switched off the smartphone and changed the TV channel.

For some people it might mean a job loss or financial setback. For others it’s a chronic illness or the prospect of major surgery. Or maybe your trouble involves family or relationship issues like a divorce or the loss of a loved one.

Christ-followers, however, have the hope of better days ahead. That’s because we worship a God who’s much greater than any natural disaster, financial difficulty or international dispute. Ours is a Creator who literally spoke the universe into existence, formed great mountain ranges with his hands and parted the seas with a breath.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” asks the writer of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

So let’s take God at his word. His hopeful message is that he works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purposes. But let’s also keep in mind that we’re not exempt from personal storms once we turn our lives over to Jesus. What does change, however, is that eternal assurance that helps us endure any difficulty or trial — trivial or immense.

In one form or another, the storms of life surround every one of us. The lightning flashes and the thunder rumbles. But as Christ-followers, there’s real hope for blue skies on the horizon.

Fear Not

“Don't be afraid!" Moses replied. "God has come only to test you,

so that by obeying him you won't sin."

Exodus 20:20

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly 13 percent of American adults have experienced a phobia — a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. Common phobias include claustrophobia (the fear of enclosed areas), aviophobia (the fear of flying) and one of the biggest of them all: glossophobia (speaking in public). You also wouldn’t be alone if you suffer from galeophobia (the fear of cats) or even coulrophobia (the fear of clowns). And what about folks diagnosed with panophobia? They’re afraid of everything!

Christ-followers aren’t immune from phobias. In fact, some suffer from

zeusophobia — the fear of God. But to be fair, it’s more accurate to say that they’re afraid of saying yes to him. One reason is that we too often think of God as a cosmic consultant offering well-intentioned suggestions rather than the all-knowing Creator who made us, loves us and wants only the best for us. Saying no to God is the most basic definition of sin. And mankind has been doing just that since the earliest days of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

We know in our heads and in our hearts that God loves us. In fact, he loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die in our place to pay for our transgressions. So with this in mind, why would anyone say no to God?

First, saying no and playing it safe is a basic human instinct. Fleeing from danger (real or perceived) makes perfect sense when we consider our innate desire for self-preservation. We can also refuse God when he calls us to do something uncomfortable or inconvenient. Maybe it’s helping a neighbor who’s between jobs, driving a shut-in to the grocery store or talking with a co-worker who’s reached a spiritual crossroads. Taking that first step can be awkward, difficult — and even scary.

Selfishness is likely the biggest reason that so many people are afraid to say yes to God. After all, it usually means saying no to us. But be forewarned: When we decide to turn our backs on our Creator, we need to prepare for a certain level of spiritual turmoil. God knows what he wants and how he wants to do it. So it’s only fitting that we’ll find ourselves in a much worse situation than if we had just said yes in the first place. As the saying goes, sometimes we need to feel the heat before we can see the light. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

“God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him,” the Apostle Paul assures us through the Book of Romans. “Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.”

Do you have that common phobia of saying yes to God? Fear not!

Making Time

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

-- Proverbs 17:17

God’s omnipotence and perfection are consistent themes throughout the Bible. And since he’s the Creator of all things and we’re merely his limited creations, we shouldn’t think twice that he’s all-knowing and all-seeing of things past, present and future. On the other hand, what can make us wonder is that his words and deeds so often contradict human nature.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts,” God tells us through the Book of Isaiah, and

“neither are your ways my ways.” Jesus — who was God in the flesh — also expressed a viewpoint that opposes our modern, me-first generation. “To be first,” he declared, “we must be last.”

Christ’s bold perspective sheds new light on the ways we should treat our neighbors. And how much better would this world be if we made time to adopt a servant’s attitude and put the interests of others before our own?

Jesus answered this question through his own example. First, he willingly surrendered his rightful privileges as God’s only Son. He entered the world through humble circumstances — a birth among farm animals in a filthy stable. And as he grew up, he learned to make a common-man’s living as a carpenter. Jesus could have lived in splendor as the King of Kings. But he instead chose a nomadic lifestyle for teaching the Good News of salvation to all who would listen.

That’s quite a life-lesson — and one taught by the One with a humble servant’s heart. He’s also the One who came to serve rather than to be served. And although he had just three years to save the world, he still made time in his busy schedule to touch the lives of society’s outcasts. It was this same Jesus who healed the sick, fed the hungry and trained disciples toward the way of truth.

Our non-stop, 24/7 existence may pull us in many self-serving directions, but our call as Christ-followers is to follow his example. It’s by defying our selfish nature that we can love our neighbors — whether they’re next door or a continent away — and make God’s thoughts our own.

The International Language

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

-- Mark 12:28

The estimates vary, but there are approximately 6,500 spoken languages in the world. Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers (about 1.2 billion), Spanish comes in second at about 400 million, and English follows at 360 million. But regardless of their nationality, every Christ-follower should be fluent in at least one Romance language. It’s not French, Spanish, Italian or even Portuguese. Instead, it’s the language of love.

We learn through the Bible that God speaks it in several dialects.

Think about the famous story of the Prodigal Son, where the loving father welcomes back his wayward (and totally undeserving) child with open arms. Or what about the shepherd who searches tirelessly for a single missing sheep? When he finally finds it, he returns it triumphantly to the rest of the flock.

Jesus also told his disciples about a man who sold all his possessions to buy a field. But not just any field — instead one that held buried treasure. Although the cost to buy the land was staggering, the man did whatever it took to gain the prize.

These are all pictures of how God expresses his love for us. And he’ll go to any length to bring you and me into his family. Perhaps the most famous passage in the New Testament, John 3:16 tells us that God loves the world so much that he gave his only son (Jesus) so that those who believe in him will have eternal life. God willingly let Jesus suffer and die to pay for all our wrongdoings — past, present and future. We rightfully deserve death because of how we’ve lived our lives and broken God’s laws. But God’s love offers us joy and happiness if we’re only willing to accept it. By living on Earth among everyday people and then dying for our sins, Jesus has already paid the ultimate price.

We can see from these examples that God’s love language — the one we all need to speak — isn’t about feelings or emotion. Instead, it’s all about action. And as the most important of the Fruits of the Spirit, the demonstration of love in our lives is evidence that we’re truly Christ-followers and that he’s living through us. For some, that might translate into feeding the hungry at a homeless shelter, mowing the lawn of an elderly widow or even paying (anonymously) the utility bill of an unemployed neighbor. There’s no shortage of examples or opportunities.

Learning a new language can be difficult. But James, the brother of Jesus, tells us that speaking the most important language of all is quite simple. And it’s when we do that we know we’re on the narrow life-path that Christ advises us to take.

“This royal law is found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ If you obey this law, you are doing right.”

Give Me a Break

Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.

-- Ephesians 4:32

Ever consider that it’s our friends and family — not strangers — who tend to give us a hard time?

The late President George H.W. Bush once reminisced that his son, George, had visited the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, and made the unforgivable mistake of resting his feet on the coffee table.

“George Bush, you get your feet off the furniture!” demanded his feisty

mother, Barbara.

“For goodness sake, Barbara,” responded Bush’s elderly father. “He’s the President of the United States.”

“I don’t care who he is,” she answered. “It’s still my coffee table.”

How right Jesus was when he observed that prophets are honored everywhere: except in their hometowns, with their own people and in their own homes!

Joseph, one of God’s great servants of Old Testament times, would identify with this awkward fact of life. He was by far his father’s favorite son. And one day, his jealous brothers decided to get rid of him by selling him into slavery — and blaming a wild animal for his demise. But God had a different plan. Years later, faithful Joseph had impressed his Egyptian captors to the point that they appointed him to the second-highest post in the land. 

When famine swept over the region, Joseph planned wisely to ensure that the people had enough grain to eat. Meanwhile, unaware that their sibling was still alive — much less a high-ranking government official — Joseph’s brothers traveled from Canaan to Egypt in search of food. Joseph put them through several arduous tests before finally revealing his identity. And he could have had his revenge by enslaving his brothers or even putting them to death. But he instead repaid them with a heartfelt invitation to bring their father, livestock and servants to live with him in his adopted land of plenty.

Christ-followers are also called to shun revenge and show kindness. And many times we do respond to crises by giving to strangers whom we’ll never meet. It might be a famine victim in Africa, an earthquake survivor in Central America or an evacuee from a California wildfire. But there are also those certain people who live down the street, next door or even in the next room.

They’re your friends and family — the ones who tend to give you a hard time.

“Don't ever forget kindness and truth,” the author of Proverbs tells us. “Wear them like a necklace. Write them on your heart as if on a tablet.”

God has given us more breaks than we can count — and we certainly didn’t deserve them. So be sure to share a few with others. We don’t have to look far for those who need them the most.