Am I the only one who is a total goner for a great underdog story? Cause I seriously doubt it very seriously, actually. I LOVE underdog stories...especially if there's a strong redemption theme. Lord of the Rings. Cinderella. Remember the Titans. Any story about an unlikely hero rising to the occasion, and succeeding and against all odds, and I'm there.
Today in church I was reminded the hope that we as Jesus-People have and how we are basically playing out the coolest underdog story of all. Think about it. There is so much crap that goes on in this world, and nobody makes it out of this life unmarked by that stuff. ...actually, nobody makes it into (let alone out of) this world unmarked by this stuff. Sickness. Broken relationships. Poverty. Crime. War. Death. Accidents. I could keep going, but I think you get what I'm trying to get across, which is that sometimes this world sucks and life gets fairly miserable. Not to sound like a downer, because I know there are amazing things that happen in life, too, right? But just like life offers little tastes of Heaven on earth, I think it's fair to also say there are definitely little tastes of Hell on earth too. Because there's a war going on.
But you know what's cool about Hope? Hope whispers into our hard times that "You know the ending. We win. Don't give up, even when it's beyond hard. Keep pushing, because you know it'll pay off." And just like in the sermon illustration I heard today, when we're down in the score at the end of our game, but we know beyond doubt that we win, it only makes the victory that much more dramatic and exciting. And when you know you win in the end, you can play the game totally undaunted, fully charged and unstoppable. There's no reason to get discouraged even when things get tough, and you're coming up from behind, the underdog. And the kind of a turn around in the game that must be coming only makes for a cooler ending. Like I said. Seriously, who doesn't love an awesome underdog story?
And tying back to my 2014 theme, this is my encouragement about being faithful today. Hope ties into faithful in a couple of ways. First, it lets you be faith-filled. Hope provides constant encouragement, and fuel for when things get tough. Hope doesn't let you get discouraged during hard times, because it keeps you focused on your goal and end success. And this fuels you to be dedicated and steadfast on God's call for your life. It's dawning on me that hope is actually a huge key to living a faithful life.
What do you think?
Where is God asking you to be faithful?
Where in your life do you need Him to refresh you with His hope?
How does an eternal perspective encourage you?
What doubts and anxieties is God asking you to let go of, and replace with His hope?
I'd love to hear what you have to say! :)
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