Original: January 3, 2008
McMinnville, OR
2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:2- 3
I hate running. But I run anyway. I hate typing. But I type anyway. I hate eating. Wait, I love eating! Running is a great way to get a quick, difficult workout in. At well over 200 pounds, thirty minutes of running really stretches my endurance. The one thing I cannot do in running is to run circles around some track or repeat my steps.
Circles are continuous. I hate running. Running in circles causes me to lose hope. I need a finish line! I need a goal. The end of the line gives me hope when running. Men need hope.
Hope crosses the finish line before the finish line is reached. Hope is having the ability, or confidence, to see the end at the beginning. Hope can see the invisible and dream the impossible. Hope is success in the midst of a failure. Hope is the great exaggerator. Hope is the half-full glass. Lives are built or torn down on hope. Since hope sees the end it can endure the means as only an obstacle to the achieving the end that hope has already seen!
Hope is victory in hand.
I read an old story about a young preacher who once came to the great Scottish preacher, Charles Spurgeon and asked, “Sir, how can I become such a great preacher like you that people give their lives to Christ every time I preach?”
Spurgeon shot back, “Son, you don’t actually believe that people will give their lives to Christ every time do you?”
The young man bowed his head in honest shame and said “No sir, I don’t.”
“That” Spurgeon said, “Is your problem.”
The hope that each time I speak a life will be changed keeps me speaking. The hope that a teen who constantly makes poor life choice will one day be a champion for Christ keeps me in the youth ministry game. The hope that my boys will grow into godly men keeps me fathering. The hope that my marriage will unite Shanna and I on a deeper level keeps me loving. The hope that those reading this will, somehow, be inspired towards manhood keeps me typing!
What hope motivates you?
What hope drives you today?
What is it that caused you to get out of bed this morning?
Pursue that hope.
