Wednesday, December 20, 2023

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us..

Romans 5:5

Have you ever met an “idealistic” Christian? What do I mean? I believe that most of us know Christians who just do not live in the real world. They crowd out this world by denying reality. Others can find it hard to take these people seriously. When we choose to play or toy with reality, some of the authenticity that should be present in our walks with Christ is lost. Hope considers all of the facts and still rests in the truth.

This is what Kim says, 

“This is what Christian hope looks like. It doesn’t ignore fear, anxiety, and doubt; it confronts them. It holds steady, clinging to peace in the midst of chaos. Through life’s many treacherous storms—be they pandemics, political divisions, social unrest, or personal struggle—Christian hope is buoyed by something greater that has happened and something greater that is going to happen again.”

PRAYER: Lord, I don’t have to try to act as if something is what it is not. I can walk in hope knowing that you have me every step of the way. 

Kim, Jay Y. 2020. “HOPE: AN EXPECTANT LEAP: Advent Reminds Us That Christian Hope Is Shaped Both by What Has Happened and What’s Going to Happen Again.” Christianity Today 64 (8): 60–64.