“HOPE
AND CHANGE”
We have heard this in different forms over
the last several political cycles.
“Hope” is something we all want desire; ”Change”, in some areas, definitely,
in others, not so much. As I pause to reflect on the coming year, I wonder,
“What changes will I face? Will some be very good? Do great difficulties lie
ahead?
CHANGE:
I have to admit, I am not a great fan of
change. I have recently acknowledged to some of my young friends, “Yes, I am a
dinosaur! I still like shiny shoes, pressed slacks and shirttails tucked in, a
bow tie, and my hair cut short and combed. I like words that are spelled correctly,
cursive writing, the proper use of grammar, being a gentleman who treats women
with respect, courtesy and politeness, biologically defined gender roles, the
definition of marriage being between a man and a woman. I still believe the United States is
exceptional. I will stand with hand over heart when I hear our National Anthem
and kneel in prayer.
In
short, I am a dinosaur but I am o.k. with that.
Having said that, however, I am willing to change when I see it is
beneficial or does not violate traditional standards. I am slowly but surely
moving into the twenty-first century in certain technology areas, like smart
phones and computers. I like some contemporary Christian music. I attend a
church that has contemporary worship and style without losing a sense of
reverence. In the last twenty years, I have undergone a dramatic shift in the
activities I enjoy. I now love wing
shooting as well as skeet shooting versus the time when tennis filled my life
with pleasure. I have learned to be less
competitive. I do not always have to be right or first all the time. I have
learned to ask myself when discord arises over an issue, “Is this a hill to die on?” meaning is this really that important on
which I take a strong stand?
I guess the biggest change in my life came
over forty years ago when I removed myself from the center of the universe and
my egocentric way of thinking and asked Christ to be the center of my
life. Mind you, this change has not been
an overnight sort of thing and sometimes it seems as though I take two steps
forward and one step back in the process of molding me into Christ-likeness. I am learning to love and accept the person
that God is in the process creating me to be. I am learning that my identity is
tied not to my performance but to who I am in Christ.
HOPE:
What do you hope for
in this life? Do you hope for happiness,
security, prosperity, continued good health, and a long life? May I ask you to examine what the basis of
that hope is for you? Is it good financial planning and working out to be
physically fit, having a positive outlook on life? Those things are great and
necessary, for sure. However, in the vagaries of this life, nothing is certain
but death and taxes, as they say.
I Peter 3:15 says,
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason
for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
So here goes: This
is the reason for the hope in life that I have:
For those of us who put their faith in Christ, as it
says in “Hebrews 11:1 (NIV): “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see. “
I am certain of the Resurrection of Christ, on which
the whole of Christianity bases itself. Because of that certainty, I am sure
that I have the hope of eternal life with Him. Though I may die, yet will I
live.
My hope and faith is founded not on mere speculation
but reason. I like what a theory called “Pascal's Wager.” Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth
century French mathematician, physicist, philosopher and Christian apologist.
He advanced this line of reason regarding the existence of God:
1. God is or is not. Reason cannot decide between the
two alternatives.
2. A game is being played... where heads or tails will
turn up.
3. You must wager. (It is not optional)
4. Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that
God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose,
you lose nothing.
As we enter a new year, I pray that your life will be filled with
hope; a hope based on faith in Christ, so that no matter what befalls you in
this life, whether plenty or want, sickness or health, through joy and sorrow,
you can experience a peace that passes all human understanding through Christ,
our Lord and Savior.
May
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in him, so that
you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)