Dictionary.com defines hope as
"to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence;
to believe, desire, or trust.
An expectancy or longing."
In truth, God is the ultimate object of our hope. In Colossians, Paul writes of the mystery kept hidden for ages and generations: Christ in you, the hope of glory.
As a parent, I have hopes for my children. Hopes differ from plans.
I am not planning their lives as if I somehow know what each of them should be doing in the future. God has designed them with His plans and purposes already included.
There is no hint from God that He would like me to dictate who my children marry,
how many children they have,
or how they should make use of the gifts and talents He has given them.
One thing I keep coming face to face with is the "here and now" versus "eternity" ...
My "here and now" mentality exposes my
discontent with planting,
my tendency toward weariness in watering
and my preoccupation with seeing the harvest.
"I planted the seeds, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."
1 Corinthians 3:6
Reminding myself that it is "God who makes all things grow" is necessary. I know that I need to trust Him and be patient as I watch my children grow. My heart desires the very best for them. As their mother, I long to see them embracing the plans and purposes God has for them. My sincere hopes are grounded in my love for God and my love for them.
But I must trust that God is working even when the work is not fully revealed.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer
Romans 12:12
My heart stumbles, at times, over impatience.
Parenting is such a beautiful means for the Holy Spirit to work the fruit of patience in my life.
Sadly, this has been a weak spot in my character.
Failure upon failure.
It is my belief that being impatient is fostered
by a lack of trust in God.
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:18
Wow. Just a quick walk through 2 Cor. This could very well be one of my most cherished passages from the Bible. You know what I mean. One of those groups of words and sentences that cause your heart to leap inside. Words that bring a swell of joy, affection, longing. Treasures in Jars of Clay. How quickly overwhelmed I become when I read:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show this all-surpassing power is from God
and not from us.
We are hard pressed on every side,
but not crushed
perplexed, but not in despair
persecuted, but not abandoned
struck down, but not destroyed ...
we do not lose heart
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For the light and momentary troubles are achieving
for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Reality is eternity.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
My focus should be eternity.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Proverbs 13:12
I am encouraged when
God allows me to see glimpses
not in full
not complete
but glimpses of His beautiful work in progress
This verse from Philippians 1:6 is also
a great source of encouragement:
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
God's growing season extends beyond the here and now.
My job is to plant -
teaching and nurturing my children
and water -
diligently praying for them,
and trust God to grow them in His perfect timing.
Trust prepares my heart to wait.
Trust allows my heart to hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment