December 2nd
Fourth Day of Advent
In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the world of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Colossians 1:3-8
What is hope? Often, hope is a desire, something we really want. Teenagers hope they get into the school of their choice. Young adults hope the company calls with a job offer. A cancer patient hopes for good news from the doctor. Wives and husbands hope for the future of their marriage. Hope is a desire, something we really want. But what if our hopes are dashed? What if the teenager gets a rejection letter? What if the job offer does not come? Or what if distressing news comes from the doctor’s office? What if marriage ends in divorce? Is hope lost?
Paul defines hope in a different way. In the passage above, Paul defines hope as the gospel: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Colossians heard of this hope from Paul’s friend Epaphras. The Colossians heard, understood, and believed in this hope. Then they walked in this hope. We know this because Paul tells us of the good fruit in Colossae. Christian hope bears good fruit. Always.
How do we practically live in Christian hope, even when our worldly hopes feel lost, when our hearts break? When Joel finished seminary, I hoped for a church close to my family and friends in Atlanta. At first, I held tightly to those people and places I most loved. Yet, through abiding and listening, God opened my clenched fists one finger at a time. Yes, tears overflowed at times. Yes, I felt broken at times. But God’s call was unmistakable. Christian hope requires opening our hands, letting go.
And we are never alone. God empowers us to open our hands as we practice prayer, listening, and thanksgiving. As we lose our life, we gain a new life. We gain an abundant life, a life of joy and fruit bearing. Gratitude fills me each day for God’s gracious call to West Texas, a call that daily grows me closer to our Savior.
Advent is a time of hope, a time inviting us to fully connect with the One who most loves us, the One calling us to lose our life so that we might gain new life in Him. What will fall from our hands as we open them to grasp the baby in the manger?
Surrender to win!!