Hope for the Hopeless
With John Bates
Remember Me?
Have you ever wondered how people would think of you the day you died? Or how you would be remembered by family and friends years later? What would they say about you? Would they speak highly of you and share lots of praises or would they keep silent because they really never knew you nor would they have nothing but negative things to share? More importantly, how would their lives be different because of your relationship with Jesus Christ?
As we come into the month when a day was set aside to do exactly this, to remember people who were in our lives and fought for our freedom, it could be a good time to take a moment to reflect on one's own life and see if it is being lived in ways to be remembered how one wants to be.
Personal Example
I would like to share something personal to help you relate. For the longest time I used to have two thoughts when living in my addictions and during the times when I was not walking right with the Lord Jesus Christ. My thoughts were … “would anyone even notice if I died and if they did would they know anything about me?” and “if people really knew me what would they be able to say about me?” I was troubled by these thoughts for years because I rarely invited anyone to really get to know me and those who did would probably not have had very good things to say about my character and who I was as a Christian. This never set well with me so I set out to figure out how my life could be changed only to feel hopeless about being able to make “all the changes I saw I would need to make.” It was so overwhelming. I had no idea where to start. At the time, even though I claimed I was a Christian, I really had no faith or confidence in my relationship with God. I believed He would not help me if He really wanted to because of how I was living my life. But that was because I really did not know God and His character. So I was in a quandary living a life I knew was nothing but hypocrisy. And knowing I didn't have the answers, I figured that my life was going to continue spiraling downward. That for certain I would be one of those Christians who were not secure in their faith or worse was one who would hear from Jesus “depart from me for I never knew you.” But a twist of fate landed my way that came about with the loss of everything but my job. A bizarre moment when I found myself in a place of utter desperation (hopelessness). To think hopelessness could bring hope. Who would have thought? But I had one direction to look for hope and one direction I knew would keep me in nothing but hopelessness. As long as I kept looking down I would continue living in hopelessness but as soon as I would look up I knew God's hand would be there waiting for me to help me up. This was the hope I needed … knowing someone was there who loved me and cared about me because in my mind I didn't think anyone did. So if you feel this way, there is hope. This is the reasoning and the beginnings of “Hope for the Hopeless” and a joint venture with Heartbeat the Magazine.
I would like to share some foundational truths with you of how each of us can experience life-change. And with this, how one's life-change can bring a life of living in hope. Not one person has ever escaped the feeling of utter hopelessness in a situation. Even Jesus had the experiences that brought us to our knees because we did not know the answers but He did know the answers so He showed us how to live with in a way that showed truth and could bring us life.
Foundational Truths
• Jesus knew He was loved by His Father.
Jesus always talked about His relationship with His Father among His disciples and others who were there to listen to Him. He knew His Father loved Him so much that He was able to say it in just one sentence. “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) In thinking about what it would be like to think of myself and my father as one would mean that I knew He loved me and cared about me and I would do the same in return. It is in this type of a relationship that we are able to grow and have the strength we need in ourselves to do the things we do. How many times do we hear in this world about how a relationship with a person's father either made them or broke them?
In John 5:19-20, Jesus explains it this way. “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does.” It was because Jesus experienced so much love from His Father that He was able to show this same love to every man, woman and child.
• Jesus knew He could trust His Father to keep His promises.
This was seen and demonstrated by Jesus while hanging on the cross. The words of Christ on the cross and the decision to be hung on a cross instead of calling the angels down from heaven to strike all His enemies dead showed how much He could trust His Father's plan for His life. Because He knew His Father loved Him, He knew His Father would not lead Him astray and take Him where it would not be safe. That is why when Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross, He could be certain in telling the one thief that today he would be with Him in paradise. And how He could tell the people mourning at the foot of the cross that they need not weep for Him but for themselves and their children because He knew what was going to be coming because of His death on the cross to those who would later continue to choose to follow Him. And why when He was about to die was able to say with a loud voice “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:26-49) Do we have enough trust and confidence in God's promises to live our lives even to the point of death?
• Jesus knew His purpose and passion in life.
The key verse where Jesus' words were written down to express His purpose and passion here on earth is written in John 12:20-36. Right in the heart of Jesus' message he commends those who live the same way with having a purpose and passion in life. He puts it this way “whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” Do you know what passion and purpose you have in this life that will bring glory to the Kingdom of God ?
• Jesus developed a character that emulated His Father.
In John 15:9 and 15:12-13, we have the finest example of the development of character. Verse 9 says “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.” This builds into verses 12-13 where Jesus continued that thought with these words; “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The disciples had no idea that what Jesus was saying was literal and was going to happen to Jesus Himself. The question to ask is “Do I love others no matter who they are the way Jesus loved me who was so undeserving of His love?”
• Jesus set aside any personal preferences for the higher calling.
After the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan River , “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” He was tempted with breaking his fast by eating bread, putting God to the test and in worshipping the devil himself to cause Him to worship one other than the Lord God Himself. (Matthew 4:1-10) These are all temptations we face as well and become our personal preferences. However Jesus knew the Scriptures and used them to stake His claim in the love he had for His Father which was shown by His obedience to fulfilling His purpose of being man's salvation. If Jesus had never been able to fulfill His purpose, man would be lost forever. So the question is … do we know what the Scriptures say in order to be one with Christ this way? And if we do know what the Scriptures say do we care enough to set aside our own personal preferences for such a higher calling?
• Jesus made a decision to not take any other course than the one He was called to.
Jesus probably prayed this same prayer throughout His life … “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will be done.” (Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42) Jesus knew the road He was about to travel. He knew He was going to experience death in the next 24 hours but He also knew His Father had a greater plan and purpose for His death. Do we have this same attitude knowing that God has a greater plan and purpose in our lives? Even if you do not know that greater plan and purpose do you believe God has one for you or do you lack the faith in thinking God wants to use you?
Closing Thoughts
These were all thoughts I had to ask myself and make decisions on. Have I followed each conviction based on the answers I had given since then? I would love to tell everyone that I have been able to be faithful and never sway from some of the truths I had come to realize were fact and enough to change the course of my life but I can't. And the awesome thing is I no longer live in shame or guilt or feelings of hopelessness because I know I have a God who loves me more than enough to forgive me of my sins and to continue to encourage me to do my best. Do you have this type of a relationship? If not, would you like one? Would you like to make a difference in this world that brings honor to God? If so, then answer the questions above for yourself and wherever you know you lack the strength to live by the truths you learn, ask God to grow you in those areas and be prepared because growth only comes from trials and tribulations.
My prayer is that each one of you who reads this will make a decision to live your life in a way that will make a difference for the kingdom of God and in the lives of those around you.
If you are looking for answers to have hope in your life once again, feel free to send me your question and I will look at addressing that topic in future publications.