Giving Up Hope

The Hallmark channel is filled with stories of hope this time of the year.

Hope that a broken relationship will be restored.

Hope that a sick child will be healed.

Hope that there will be snow for Christmas.

Hope that Lassie will make it home through the storm.

Usually by the end of the movie, everyone feels warm and fuzzy because that hope has been fulfilled.

Unfortunately, many Bible-believers have swallowed the Hallmark-Hope Lie.

If we truly believe, it will happen. If we are obedient, our dreams will come true. If we are humble and submissive, harm will never come our way.

One problem with that is that we don't have movie directors writing the scripts of our lives.

But the bigger problem is that we don't have any promises in the Bible that our dreams will come true.

No promises for a happy marriage.

No promises for healthy children.

No promises for a rewarding job.

No promises for a white Christmas.

No promises that the lost dog will return.

If we are believing the Hallmark-Hope Lie, we will be disappointed. We might try harder to believe. We might work harder to make God like us more so that He'll give us what we want. We'll be constantly on the lookout for the ruby slippers.

Or we might just give up on God. Take things into our own hands. God has given up on us. He's not given us what we want, so He must not be God. We are on our own.

Hoping for things for which there are no promises or giving up on God - both are idolatry. We've set something else in the place of God. We've made our hopes the goals for our lives.

So what's the solution?

Give up hope.

Jesus did. And so should we.

In the hours before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me" (Lk 22:42a). He knew the pain that was coming. He knew the burden of sin that would be placed on Him. He knew the separation from His loving Father that He would face.

And He hoped that there would be another way.

But the next line of His prayer reveals that He gave up hope. "Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done" (Lk 22:42b).

He gave up His hopes to be obedient to His Father.

Rather than chasing the Hallmark-Hope Lie, chase after the heavenly Father. Devote ourselves to Him. Love Him. Obey Him. Trust Him.

Not as a way to get what we want. "If I do this, then God will give me this" is like bringing fruit to an idol of stone.

Give up your hopes.

Cling to the promises of God.