Monday, September 9, 2013

Hopelessness Is A Lie

I woke up this morning with a splitting headache.  It actually began last night.  Have you ever been fed up with a situation? Or a person even? Maybe it is their problems that you are fed up with.  Far too often I have been fed up recently.  This bothers me a great deal because if I am short on compassion then there is a short circuit elsewhere. 

When this happens, often I just need a lesson in love from my ever steady and loving Father.  Other times, like this time, I have become so "me" centered that I no longer have the capacity for compassion on my friends. 

One of Satan's great tools is discouragement.  If he cannot disrupt your ministry as a believer directly, he will go the indirect route.  As believers, and really as humans, we thrive upon hope. Hope for a better life, an improved station in life, brighter circumstances, the fading of night and the coming light of morning.  Hope is central in each of our lives when it comes to loving and especially having compassion. Hope tells us that while things might be bad in our lives or another's life that we are involved in, through companionship, fellowship, and prayer, there is another side to the madness.  The example could be someone struggling with cancer.  But it could also be roommates fighting and being snarky.  Major or minor, hope can guide us home in these situations. 

Hopelessness though sneaks in life a thief in the night.  All it takes is feeling overwhelmed and loosing sight that the Lord is good. Just long enough for the idea of their being "no end" to take root, for us to begin to worry.  Over time we begin to believe the lie. The lie says,

 "No matter the problem, big or small, that person wont change, this situation is insurmountable. Don't bother with trying to help, no, don't even bother with praying.  God is not big enough for this."

It sounds ridiculous when spelled out but these very words have been spoken to us all at one point in time.  Of the above examples I have experienced both. I have checked out before.  Hopelessness is powerful and nearly claimed my life.  It steals love because love is full of purpose. It captures compassion because you are fed up with trying to love in the midst of hopelessness. 

The truth is that we must hold fast to hope and choose joy.  Having once been in a situation where I had been given a death date I can say that my God is bigger than death because that date passed over 4 years ago and I am still here writing these words.  He is bigger than roommate disagreements because the Lord turned that living situation into one of the favorite times in my college career. 

My prayer is that anyone who happens to read this will take a second and remember all that the Lord has done. Look back at His faithfulness and then look forward at the problems you are facing.  We must be like the people of Israel and be people who remember what the Lord has done.  His power is greater and if it was greater once it will be so again.  We must remember how great his love was once if we can then reciprocate it. Hopelessness is a lie. Tell it so and cast it out. Then walk in love and compassion as our Father does.

God Bless

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