A Living Hope

A hope about to be made livingIn 1 Pet. 1:3, Peter says that Christ "has begotten us again into a lively hope." 

Begotten again?  Yeah, you betcha.  One day we were born into the earth, sky, the realm of oxygen, carbon, gold, and nitrogen.  Another day, we were begotten into a living hope.

Jesus came preaching the Kingdom.  He walked past a fisherman and said, "I am going to restore David's kingdom now.  I need a second-in-command.  Are you in?"  Peter walked away from his nets.  I think I could have shown that much faith, you?  :- )

Peter ran on that hope for two years worth' of village preaching, not seeing much in the way of early stock dividends.  Finally in Matt. 19:27 Peter said, in effect, "I don't want to be greedy here, but it's been two years.  What is the payoff for being Secretary of State in Your kingdom?"

Christ's reply:  You twelve shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the entire realm of God's people. 

Peter didn't know it, but eighteen months later, people would be lining up in the streets, hoping that Peter's shadow would hit them as he passed by.

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A living hope?  What's that?  Well, what's a dead hope?

Many years ago, a man talked me into a vending machine business.  I went ahead and paid $600 apiece for six tabletop vending machines.  We traveled the city and found great places to put them.  I went home excited.

Two weeks later, I went around to refill the machines and collect all the quarters.  I figured, maybe $100-300 from all six, and the $500 total monthly income would balance out my budget.

My hope -- of easy money to balance my budget -- went from living to dead, the moment I opened the first cash drawer and saw six quarters in there.  (I did gain five pounds from the Snickers bars lying around my house.)

A "living" hope is one that enthuses you, that motivates you, that causes you to keep working when you otherwise would have quit.  It's the electricity in your generator.   If you have a clear visual and if it genuinely appeals to you, it will keep you moving.  

But the key is expectation.  Is the goal feasible?  Does it seem possible?  Combine desire and expectation and you come out with hope.

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Anything we do, our motivation stands or falls with the degree of expectation.  A lonely 19-year-old girl is discouraged because she can't meet a guy.  But what if a cute guy does ask her to dinner and the movies this Friday?  How long will she be able to stay on the treadmill that week?

A cook has a dream - to sell his awesome raspberry jam recipe.  He'll dream about it for 40 years, because it's a pipe dream.  He thinks about it, he longs for it, but he doesn't have a "living" hope.  Then he runs into somebody who sells homemade pies.  "How many do you sell each month?"  "Oh, about two thousand pies a month."   All of a sudden his hope revs up...

One time I had dinner with a friend who sold stuff on eBay.  Oh, no, not another one of these dinner conversations.  What do you sell?  "Ladies' clothes from thrift shops.  Last month I made $5,000 at it."  That put things in a different perspective.  It's possible!  Three months later, I quit my day job because of the eBay income.

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Luke 24:21, the apostles are wandering about Palestine defeated, dejected, going home in sorrow.  They walk next to the risen Christ, but "their eyes are holden" from recognizing him.  Why so sad?  "We hoped it was He who would redeem Israel."

Without hope, there's no joy and there's no action.

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Hope changes us.  The moment our goal seems possible, that hope becomes living.

Everything man does, he does because of hope.

Warm regards,

Jeff