Lately, I have been exclusively in the Apostle John’s writings, in my personal readings, my blog writing, and my time with my wife.
John reiterates one theme, over and over again in my opinion, and that is that we are to love one another, to love like Jesus, to love.
It is refreshing to be reminded of the core mission of believers.
Love like Jesus.
Hoping all Things
Love is the goal of all of Christian life. Love that is displayed in the life of Jesus. The life and death of Jesus. This love is described in 1 Corinthians 13. Let’s consider
Love hopes all things
It has been years since a brother once instructed me to replace the term “love” with “Jesus” to get a better understanding of who He is.
Jesus hopes all things
Hope is inextricably linked to expectations
I am a naturally pessimistic fella. I struggle to find the positive in my circumstances, and when I pull back and consider my situation, it is utterly ridiculous the thought life I allow my self to wallow in.
I have a loving wife who would literally do anything for me, five loving children, (although one was taken from us too early). I have 7 beautiful grandchildren. I have a boss that is willing to suffer my inadequacies and give me a chance to succeed in a new career. I live in a wonderful country, a fantastic state, and everything I could want is provided in the city I live in. My neighbors are great, the weather is almost always fantastic (granted August can be a bear!). Need I go on? And yet I fall into a pessimistic thought life too often.
And this is the crunch. What are my expectations for my future? What do I dwell on in my thought life? Do I hope all things, expecting good and right things to prevail? Does the constant wearing down of my expectations, cause me to loose hope? Or are my current expectation unrealistic?
Am I concerned about my possible dwindling mental capacities, my occasional loss of memory, my weakness of body? These are inevitable! It is a process of aging that is ordained by the Lord, and I need to accept it as his way of training me. Since my expectations are not realistic, or worse, not based on the reality provided by the message of the gospel, my expectations are negative, and therefore my hope is diminished.
And this is a proof that I am not residing in the abundant love of God that will produce a “hope all things” environment in my thoughts, heart and life.
Love hopes all things.
Why am I telling you this?
I realize my hopes and fears are a result of living in the wrong world, and I fear there are many believers that are in a similar condition. Dear reader, where is your hope? Is the life you are living focused on the here and now? During this past year, with the trials and struggles we have all faced, the Lord has allowed fear and distractions into our lives. Stately correctly, we have invited these emotions into our lives, listening to the prophets of fear and control.
Let me ask you. Are you under the control of the spirit of the world or of the Spirit of the Lord.
Check out your fruits, for if you are not “fruiting out” the love joy and peace described in Gal 5, along with the other characteristics of the Spirit, you just may be controlled by a different spirit.
Jesus replacing Love
So is my brother’s suggestion of replacing the term love with Jesus accurate and helpful?
Jesus hopes all things. This is not the way I have seen the Lord in much of my past life. I carry with me the image of the vengeful God I was introduced to when I was a itty bitty boy of 7. Check out my testimony for those who may be unfamiliar with the rescue of yours truly.
Don’t get me wrong – We all have to stand before the judgement seat of Christ, and there will be tears. Yet in the memories of all the disappointments and failures of my life, the Word is teaching me that His attitude toward my is of love, that He hopes all things. That
He seeks out the positive of the story, that doesn’t dwell on the negative.
His scars tell me of His love for me, and His constant protection. He is not the pessimist that I am. He is a realist, with a huge dose of grace and love toward those He came to save.
Where is your hope? Is your hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for you, who was buried and who rose again? Is your hope in the One who led the way into eternal life for us mere mortals, us rebels and sinners?
Consider Who our Messiah is. Live under Him.
Please join me in our next study where we will consider
I look forward to comments and discussion. May the Lord give you an understanding heart and a willing spirit to consider the Bible and all it’s wealth.
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