Revolution of Hope

Life is meaningless.  You work so hard, strive so long for dreams that may or may not be fulfilled.  When they are fulfilled they never quite add up, and you yearn for more.  All the money you earn is for security/insurance.  You put some towards homeowners insurance, automobile insurance, social security, and if you’re financially able some goes towards insuring your lifestyle after retirement.  You exert so much energy and effort into loving your family, friends, etc. and never find yourself satisfied as you continuously don’t measure up.  If you love Jesus, you’re taught, you’ll experience ridiculous joy…after you die.  Heaven is the ultimate end and Jesus is your ultimate means.  Nothing else matters.  There is but one hope, you die before suffering too much.  

Is this really what Jesus taught?

Actually, Jesus taught that He was the reward, not Heaven.  Our hope, our identity our meaning in life all flow from Him.  To walk with Jesus is to walk in ridiculous joy now!  You were meant for life.  Not some ambiguous golden paved road encampment.  Yes, there will be suffering.  Yes, you will still sin.  Yes you will still strive and never quite get everything you desired, but with Jesus you will get so much more.  The key is you don’t have to live in suffering.  You don’t have to live in sin.  You can live in Jesus, as it were.  What does that mean?  It means knowing what He actually taught.  It means trusting that your sins, every single one of them have been covered.  It means living in a world where you have a choice to either be the real you or be the you that fails.  Sin is tricky, because it convinces you that there is no other option.  Jesus came to not just wash away and forgive you of your sins but provide you with an option to live well!  Sin destroys life, but Jesus builds life in you.

The hope isn’t far off in a distant land, waiting for you to realize suicide is the fastest track there.  It’s here.  It’s in a savior who offers it to you every moment, every second you breathe.  It’s time for a revolution of hope.

Revolution of the Encourager

God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.  Right?  Well, not really.  The scripture is actually referring to temptation and having a way out of that temptation. Look again.

  1 Cor. 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

When attempting to encourage others, stop using this phrase.  It’s incorrect, and not even close to what scripture says.  Stick to verses that talk about us having peace, us having a sound mind, us having a counselor in the holy spirit.  Better yet, buy the person a drink or a meal and listen.  Stop trying to encourage others with crappy lies.  

Everything happens for a reason.  Another encouragement that offers no real insight into what God does.  Let’s put this phrase in context shall we.  I just suffered the loss of a loved one.  Well, you lost that loved one for a reason.  Take this to its fullest end.  God caused the death of your loved one so that something else better might happen, or you might learn a lesson.  There’s no such thing as freedom of choice or consequences for actions but God walking around looking for ways to cause suffering so you might learn lessons.  Don’t twist my words. I absolutely believe God uses circumstances, even painful ones to teach lessons, but to go as far as saying He causes suffering so that we might learn lessons…well I’m not sure. Maybe.  But is that really encouraging to the person suffering?  Hey, God might have done this, be encouraged. I think there’s much better ways to encourage others in their suffering.

Start with a hug, and some actual loving encouragement from the heart.  Maybe this means say nothing.  Maybe it means using scripture.  Maybe a cooked meal.  Stop using terrible phrases.

Study the scripture below, and commit them to heart over the crappy phrases you’ve learned:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 16.33

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  Psalms 46:1

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”  Psalm 18:32-36

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

“The Lord gives his people strength.  The Lord blesses them with peace.” Psalm 29:11

“May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”  Romans 15:13

Revolution of Gender

As a boy and a man I have heard on numerous occasions the phrase “A real man….” usually followed by a gun reference, a tool reference or a treats a woman a certain way reference.  Although I’m not a woman it’s quite easy to see the pressures they face in terms of what it means to be a woman; just go to a magazine aisle.  As a follower of Jesus and a member of the church for a long time now I’ve heard the same defining characteristics taught in church.  It’s usually a little less sex focused but nonetheless defining and honestly just wrong most of the time.  I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure Jesus never said “A real man…”

What is gender?  It’s tough to define without personal beliefs within your definition.  It’s like trying to define race.  There are clearly biological and chemical differences between males and females but do these differences make one more qualified for a specific task than another?  Does this make men doing certain things and women doing certain things “right”?  In other words because I’m a man am I required to know about tools?  To make all the decisions in my home?  To be the one who initiates all romantic pursuits?  To know how to fire a gun?  To work and be the sole provider of finances within the home?  Wow.  Having a penis truly gave me some amazing skills.

Oh wait.

Have you ever met a woman who makes better financial decisions than a man?  Have you ever met a woman who can lift more weight than a man?  Have you ever met a woman who wants to be able to make decisions within her home?  Have you ever met a woman who’s down for being the one to go in for a kiss?  Yes.  Yes, you probably have.  But according to our rules on gender this woman isn’t behaving like a woman, so she must be in sin.  She must be corrected.  She must be told “A real woman…”

According to this level of thinking a hermaphrodite must be the ultimate human being because they are the only ones with the capabilities to do both manly and womanly duties.  Sound silly?  That’s what we’ve been essentially saying for centuries.  It’s time we be real about this.  Gender definition is based on preference, not “right and wrong.”  A penis and a vagina are different but the difference they play in our lives is up to us.  Be the woman you long to be, and be the man you long to be.  The only sin is trying to play God and define what that means for everyone.