Hope: Good v. Bad … September 11, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(2003)

I suppose, technically speaking, that hope is viewed in a positive light–something perpetually draped in white linen, espousing good. I certainly do not want to portray in this morning’s essay that I am opposed to something as universally enshrined in purity as hope, yet I must tell you–there IS such a thing as “bad hope.”

When hope is ill-placed or fails to evolve through the leading of the Spirit,  it becomes “bad hope.”

For instance, we live in a time when the two words “I can” are continually touted as the symbol of confidence–the battle cry of the victor. Here’s the problem: what if your “I can”  is really and truthfully an “I can’t?” What if claiming an ability you HOPE you have does not conjure it into existence? What if you believe you can dance, but really possess two left feet? Will your continual proclamations of superiority make you a better hoofer? Or are you opening yourself up to disappointment with a side dish of ridicule?

Secular society dupes the public into believing that merely stating a desire makes it come to pass as long as you “keep on believing.” Tain’t so, Joe.

Somewhere along the line, the advertising that falls off your lips with “I can” needs to audition on the stage of competition and prove its merit. At that juncture, many people walk away not only disillusioned, but also angry at those who are better than them.

The second “bad hope” comes from the religious community, as those with beatific expressions lift their eyes to the heavens and shout, “HE can!”

It amazes me that we believe we have the right to declare the will and preferences of God, especially as pertaining to our prosperity and future. There are folks who think if they become fervent enough, they can force the hand of “Our Father, which art in heaven” to do their beckoning. What God is able to do and what He chooses to do are two different things. You do not impress the Creator of the Universe by quoting Bible to Him.

So what IS “good hope?”

As I head off tonight to share with the folks at Good Hope Lutheran Church in Garden City, Michigan, I want to make sure they understand that their edifice of worship is well-named–as long as they pursue the correct style of hopefulness.

Good hope happens whenever we promote the truly heavenly notion that “WE can.”

“I can” will fail based upon my talent.

“He can” often dribbles away due to presumption and pride.

But when we finally arrive at the “we” part of the Kingdom of God, we discover the power of hope.

Here it is in a single sentence: I need you, you need me, we need God and God needs us.

That’s it.

As long as you choose that line of logic, you will find that hope is a very fulfilling and delightful exercise.

• I may be able to do things but that doesn’t mean I don’t need you.
• You may have great gifts, but truthfully, you probably require my involvement.
• We all could benefit from picking the brain of the Guy who came up with the idea of earth.
• And He has no intention of doing anything without coming into covenant with human beings.

It’s just the way it works. If you’re not going to bring your five loaves and two fishes and hang around to see what happens, don’t expect God to multiply it out to the thousands.

So there IS “bad hope:”

Any time we believe that merely saying “I can” puts a shudder of fear down the backside of the universe, we are on a fool’s journey. And also, on those occasions when we bow our heads and piously proclaim, “HE can,” with no intention of changing our own personal calendars, we are equally as dumbfounded by the less-than-promising results.

But when we realize that I need you and you need me, we come to the conclusion that we need God and we see that He has decided to need us, then whatever we hope can become faith, which has proven, over time … to have the power to move mountains.

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Lasting “Fiend”ship… March 11, 2013

(1,817)

I could be absolutely wrong, but to my recollection I can only conjure the memory of about two dozen people in my life who have become my enemies and I am at odds with–around twenty folks. It’s nothing serious–there is no “shoot on sight” declaration in place–just coming to terms with the fact that our particular chemistry was not favorable for future experiments. So considering the fact that I have met tens of thousands of people, I think that average is not too bad.

Yet, I’m not proud of having ANY maladjustment with my fellow-humans. But every once in a while, you run across a situation where, try as you might, the jagged edges of human character just don’t seem to snap into place.

I thought about this yesterday in Houston. Here was my discovery. Presently in our country, there are two options available for interacting with others. Both require decisions. You can decide to be loving or you can be preoccupied and avoid making a decision. What I’m saying is that people aren’t really hateful–just disconnected. And if you’re trying to relate to them in the midst of their preoccupation, it can certainly feel like rejection.

I think it’s the difference between being a fiend and being a friend.

To become a friend to people, you have to understand a bit about how things work. It’s a four-point process. If you’re going to be a friend:

1. There’s no reason to compete. Not every mortal on the planet is my competition. There are people who are better at things than I am, who deserve my respect. And there are folks that are not quite as adept and they require my mercy. The need to compete is a sign that insecurity is in control of your soul.

2. There’s no need to unseat. Some people are determined to attack power because they think it makes them appear more powerful. Attacking power is simply you admitting that someone IS ruling over you. It’s a waste of time to argue with people who are in the seat of power. If they’re doing a good job, you end up looking like an idiot, and if they aren’t, they soon will be “de-seated.”

3. No desire to deplete. Sometimes when I am in a church service I get aggravated because we somehow believe that showing appreciation for what people do, or applauding effort, diminishes our honoring of God. Didn’t Jesus say that “when you’ve done it to the least of these, my brethren, you’ve done it for me?” I do not need to rob you of your needful praise just to make sure that you stay humble. We deplete each other–making us so defensive about our egos that we are reluctant to interact with one another.

4. And finally, no plan to repeat. Am I the only one who thinks that life is self-explanatory? Case in point: you try something. If it doesn’t work. stop doing it. When I look at the things I was trained to be from my youth, I find some of them to be applicable to my present situation and some of them to be comically broken.  Don’t repeat what’s STUPID. It’s a great lesson for life. You will take away much of your pain if you will just follow that simple principle.

The difference between friendship and “fiend”ship is whether you show up to be loving or you arrive on the scene of fellowship in a state of preoccupation.

• There’s no reason to compete.
• No need to unseat.
• No desire to deplete, and
• No plan to repeat.

When you initiate those four things, you suddenly become of great value to the people around you.

And in the process, rather than coming off as a self-involved fiend, you become a self-aware friend.

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