I grew up during an era of optimism. The space race was on then during the sixties and seventies, and the pervading attitude was that ingenuity and hard work could accomplish anything. The thinking was, if it was possible to put a man on the moon, then what else could be accomplished? Certainly simple and mundane economic and environmental challenges could easily be met and solved.
Fast forward thirty to forty years. Gone is that optimistic, can-do attitude. Moon missions are distant memories. Manned space exploration is even gone, now that the Shuttle program is retired. Economic woes are both persistent and global. Environmental concerns (ie, global warming) seem ominously greater than the ability to solve. Optimism has given way to a general hopeless malaise.
Hope shines brightest when times seem darkest. It has personally been refreshing and rejuvenating to have intensely explored biblical hope in a recent series of sermons. The consistent theme that has been apparent to me is that there IS something better in the future, and it is worth living for today. I find a renewed sense of optimism, not because of human ability to solve problems, but because of divine ability.
I remember a song we sang one year in our Bible college choral group entitled, "In That Great A-Gittin' Up Morning". It was an optimistic Negro spiritual based on resurrection hope. Oppressed Negro slaves, enduring unspeakable hardship, composed and sang songs of hope as they went about their burdensome daily labor. In the simplest terms, they viewed resurrection hope as the "gittin-up" day when the sleeping dead would awake to an unimaginable blissful new life. Reminding themselves in song of better times ahead sustained them in the agony of slavery.
A couple of decades ago the power of positive thinking was the latest rage; possibility thinking, it was called. In retrospect, I believe it was more humanistic than biblical; more closely following the philosophy, "if you think you can, you can; if you think you can't, you can't". Optimism, with no foothold in reality, is merely positive, wishful thinking. That's where biblical hope has the decided advantage; it is the unwavering confidence that God will ultimately do exactly what He said He would do. And what He will do is infinitely greater than our mortal minds can grasp.
I've concluded that hope is not simply a topic of intense focus in teaching and preaching; it must be the pervading tone of our conversations, lessons, sermons, and ultimately, lifestyle. Something and Someone better IS coming, and this is worth living for today. Work, school, and routines are easily mundane. But, biblical hope breathes life and energy into what we do and who we are.
As I shared yesterday, the apostle Paul's prayer has special significance in terms of more fully grasping the implications of what God has promised us: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:18)
Praying for heart and head insight for us as we seek to better comprehend our bright future.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2011
Fast forward thirty to forty years. Gone is that optimistic, can-do attitude. Moon missions are distant memories. Manned space exploration is even gone, now that the Shuttle program is retired. Economic woes are both persistent and global. Environmental concerns (ie, global warming) seem ominously greater than the ability to solve. Optimism has given way to a general hopeless malaise.
Hope shines brightest when times seem darkest. It has personally been refreshing and rejuvenating to have intensely explored biblical hope in a recent series of sermons. The consistent theme that has been apparent to me is that there IS something better in the future, and it is worth living for today. I find a renewed sense of optimism, not because of human ability to solve problems, but because of divine ability.
I remember a song we sang one year in our Bible college choral group entitled, "In That Great A-Gittin' Up Morning". It was an optimistic Negro spiritual based on resurrection hope. Oppressed Negro slaves, enduring unspeakable hardship, composed and sang songs of hope as they went about their burdensome daily labor. In the simplest terms, they viewed resurrection hope as the "gittin-up" day when the sleeping dead would awake to an unimaginable blissful new life. Reminding themselves in song of better times ahead sustained them in the agony of slavery.
A couple of decades ago the power of positive thinking was the latest rage; possibility thinking, it was called. In retrospect, I believe it was more humanistic than biblical; more closely following the philosophy, "if you think you can, you can; if you think you can't, you can't". Optimism, with no foothold in reality, is merely positive, wishful thinking. That's where biblical hope has the decided advantage; it is the unwavering confidence that God will ultimately do exactly what He said He would do. And what He will do is infinitely greater than our mortal minds can grasp.
I've concluded that hope is not simply a topic of intense focus in teaching and preaching; it must be the pervading tone of our conversations, lessons, sermons, and ultimately, lifestyle. Something and Someone better IS coming, and this is worth living for today. Work, school, and routines are easily mundane. But, biblical hope breathes life and energy into what we do and who we are.
As I shared yesterday, the apostle Paul's prayer has special significance in terms of more fully grasping the implications of what God has promised us: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:18)
Praying for heart and head insight for us as we seek to better comprehend our bright future.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2011
posted by steve @ 9:21 AM
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