“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control.” (Philippians 3:21 NLT)
Weakness isn’t something we work for, it’s a by-product of inactivity. No one crawls out of bed in the morning and says: “Hey, Honey, I’m going to work out for a while, I’m entirely too agile, coordinated, flexible and strong! I’m just feeling too good, I need some exercise!” That’s crazy. We work out to BUILD, GAIN, or minimally, to KEEP those things, not because we have too much of them.
That’s the tragedy, we don’t have to do anything to build or gain weakness, it comes naturally. So does spiritual weakness. Too many would-be very effective Jesus followers have “I wish-itis.” “I wish I knew the Bible better.” “I wish I could share my faith like ________!” “I wish I could pray more effectively.” “I wish I’d started all this Christianity stuff a long time ago.” “I wish _______” and you can fill in the blank.
Hope for change doesn’t begin in the cellar of our regrets or the dusty storeroom filled with “things I can’t do or don’t have.” Hope for change begins in the heart of someone who loves Jesus more than they love themselves and they’re no longer willing to believe the lies that keep them focused on what they DON’T have.
We have a Savior who is our EVERYTHING! He’s EVERYTHING we’ll ever need to be EVERYTHING we could ever dare dream we could be – IN HIM and FOR HIM regardless of our current circumstance!
Change always and only begins in the mind. That’s why repentance is the first step in salvation. A change of mind is the catalyst to every great invention and the building of every great person of God. Our mind is where hope begins, and hope leads to action, resulting in God getting massive glory for all He accomplishes in and through us. Without hope there’s no faith and without faith it’s impossible to please God.
But hope must extend much further than the borders of our own life. Thabiti Anyabwile reminds us “Sometimes we have to have more hope for people’s change than they have for themselves.“ When you think about it, why aren’t all the people for whom we so diligently and fervently pray each day, believers in Jesus? Why do they have no hope for that kind of change?
They may hope for a new refrigerator when theirs breaks down, but they haven’t yet seen the need for the hope of a new life in Jesus, the new-life Giver! We’ve got to allow the Holy Spirit to ignite that hope in their life through OUR life. What if rather than approach a lost friend or neighbor with: “YOU NEED TO COME TO JESUS!” You started with something like: “Hey, ______, how about we grab a bite together? How about breakfast at that new place that just opened?” Or “You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders. Let’s grab a cup of coffee and talk for a while.”
People need to know WE’RE real before they’ll ever believe our Jesus is real. Our hope in Jesus has to be translated into how that hope is working in OUR life, because if it’s not working for us, there’s not much hope we’re going to convince anyone else it will work for them.
But this can work the other way, too. Maybe there’s a Christian brother or sister who needs a “hope” boost. Let the Lord use you to share the hope He’s given you, with them. Spend time with them, share Jesus’ joy and favor He’s flooded into your life with them. It’ll be a “win-win” for hope!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 