There is, indeed, greater needs that wants to consume our emptiness. We crave, actually. What do you consistently put your hope in? Let's not talk about the knowledge of the answer is, but let's talk about where your heart is at. Your thoughts, your emotions, your intelligence, and your actions. I remember reading parts of the book called "Soul Cravings" where the author, Erwin McManus, said there are three major aspects of things which we crave for: Intimacy, Meaning, and Destiny. In one of this entries (#12) on Destiny, he says, "What is fascinating about the human spirit is that we can live with a conscious awareness of death and not be paralyzed...it can actually inspire us to live a life of passionate urgency...even the smallest of dreams will keep us moving forward...but when we give up hope, when we allow ourselves to internalize despair, we shut down..." Despair to mean that "to live apart from hope" or "to live without a future." Continuing, "We should be able to live perfectly well without God and without hope. But neither proves to be the case. Ironically, when we should believe even the existence of hope, when we are most consumed with a sense of our insignificance, it is here we will crave it the most...Without hope your life may not come to an end, but it does come to a stop."
Fascinating, I suppose. If you are a Christian, then what do you consistently put your hope in? Answer: Jesus. Yes, that's a good simple answer. Now, let's not talk about the knowledge of the answer is, but let's talk about where your heart is at. Really? Do you really? Do you truly consistently put your hope in Jesus every moment of your life?
I'm convicted of this question that I asked myself, "Do I constantly have hope in the anticipation of His 2nd coming?" Honestly, my life is full of complicated issues. There are a lot of disgusting, unclean, unrighteous, and sins that need to be purify. As I live everyday, I get anxious about my future, my education, my future wife, future ministries (my career), my student loan, my family, and whole bunch of crap that are weighing me down. Nonetheless, I do have hope. If you're not a follower of Jesus Christ, then I am sure you have hope. Hope for a better future, a good wife (a good husband if you are a woman), good place to live, and career. We plan out this kind of list and work our way towards the future.
But what happens if what you crave for fails you? What happens when you become despair? We may typically want to continue find these things until they fulfill our cravings completely. We do not want to lose heart or hope, actually. We want our lives to continue. I know some people who are despair and lose all hope in whatever they are doing. They won't persevere. Like McManus said, "without hope your life......[comes] to a stop." Indeed, that's when suicide attempts happen. That's when life becomes meaningless. Your boyfriend/girlfriend breaks up with you, you lose your job, you go through bankruptcy, your parents divorce, your friends betray you, you are very stressful, your health fails you, your mentality was wrong, you experience catastrophe, and maybe you can list more. What, then, did I do wrong with my life!? Then, majority of the social network would put these three simple letters: FML...maybe for real this time.
My friends, let me confess to you on the account of my life. I am bitter. I am jealous. I am proud. I am an idolator.
I am bitter about something that I shouldn't be bitter about. I am jealous about something that I shouldn't be jealous about. I am proud about myself that I shouldn't be prideful of. I am idolizing something that I shouldn't worship. I am, therefore, broken. I put my hope on something that eventually led me to brokenness and despair because I didn't put my hope and focus on something that will last for eternity. This is what the Bible says about me, as a sinner:
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)
" For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food." (Isaiah 55:2)
"And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..." (Mark 7:6)
"But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” (Matthew 15:18-20)
"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." (James 4:13-14)
Are you despair recently? If so, why? If you have not yet experience this of deep despair, then God bless you. But, what you hope for in this world (your future and stuff) will eventually bring you to despair. We all agree that we will die one day. When we will die is not the right question. "How short is my life" is the question. You and I don't know for sure if we will live tomorrow. But aren't we supposed to be hopeful or optimistic about life? Yes, we human beings are hopeful people and we want to live forever in this earth, but that is not happening. After you die, you will live forever: Heaven or Hell. Wake up, my friends. Can you prove to me that you will live tomorrow or can you guarantee yourself that you will live tomorrow? Wake up, my friends. Do you know 100% for sure know where you will be going after you die?
What do you put your hopes in? After feeling all beat up about my life being so complicated, when all hope is lost in this world, I still have Jesus Christ. I was a fool. He's been walking beside me the whole time. He promised me that "I will never leave your nor forsake you." "I (Jesus) am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me." (John 10:14) When this world fails me, I am reminded of what Jesus promised:
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:3-5)
My friends, Jesus is alive and He will make all things new, and He will come back again. It is either we die and meet Him as our Judge, or He comes back for the second time. Wake up, my friends. Life is short! "You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." We don't know when we will die, and we also don't know when Jesus will come back. We could die in a minute or tomorrow, or Jesus could come back in a minute or tomorrow.
"And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:29-36)
If you do not believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord ans Savior and what He has done for you, then God bless you that you are still alive today while grace and forgiveness of sin are still open-handedly given to you freely. Turn to Him and believe in Him while you are still alive. You and I are sinners who turned our backs against God. Because God loves you and I, He demonstrated that love by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins while we should be the one who should have paid that penalty. He died and, 3 days later, He was resurrected to give us new life and the hope that we could have in Him alone. Do you see that you have turn away from God and put all your hopes in this world in which God created that will ultimately lead you to despair and destruction. Now, YOU have an important decision to make, my friends. Do you want to accept and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us stop sleeping around and watch out for ourselves "lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life", and be awake and anticipate our 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! Believing this truth, there are still people who needs this hope that we have! What a joy and great hope we have in our Savior! Love My Life because of Him.
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)
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