Hope for the hopeless

I have read as of late several controversial and heart breaking stories tied to Christian leaders. I have read where some have declared they no longer want to affiliate with Christianity. Recently a young pastor who worked with those struggling with suicidal thoughts became suicidal and took his life. There are exposures of hidden lifestyle sins being brought up publicly more and more.

This quite frankly is a lot to grab hold of right now even for me. For one I am not coming into this with a self-righteous promo of my opinions of this all. In fact I want to state that in 19 years as of August 27th this year I understand most of it. I know what it feels like to be frustrated with how things can be done among churches and not want to be a part of that. I know from a young man struggling with purpose and depression the feeling of the burdens of darkness feeling larger than relief can come. Thankfully for me the Lord stepped in literally and lifted darkness off of me before I even knew Jesus as Savior or Lord.

I recently found myself very frustrated about several situations as both a father and pastor towards people who are not family. Not completely frustrated with people alone. I started to wonder if the counsel and investments my wife and I gave were mattering as much as we believed. You see for us we are giving sacrificially and happily to those who seek our help. What I had allowed though was myself to feel responsible for how people follow good counsel or reject it. In essence wanting to be their help in time of need. When we take on the role of fixing it for someone we set ourselves up for discouragement. I do not completely know what all led to the reasons this young pastor took his life. I would dare say part of it was the burden of trying to help people went beyond the expectations that the Lord had.

Often times when we set people on platforms in leadership we hurt them and us because they need mercy and love same as us. Being discontent with church people being often fragile and predictably unpredictable is a sign we are no longer walking in love. It reveals we are walking in offence expecting something we ourselves at times cannot live up to. I have read on Facebook this line, "Don't be upset with me because I sin differently than you." I am in no way validating sin as okay and normal. I am however saying the wages of every sin is death. The cross Jesus willingly gave himself to is what we all need to receive from.

I believe that the fear of the Lord is returning to bring purity for us all. In doing so the revealing of things that He has patiently given room for all of us to deal with is at hand. For some there are a lot of secrets being brought out due to arrogance or pride believing it can go on because of his love covering it. Friends do not be deceived in believing that it is okay to live lukewarm and hide behind mercy forever. We will all be given account for what we do in the end. This should confront anything that is complacent as if our lives are common and it does not matter.

What I love so much about the Fathers heart is how powerfully redemption and hope come with genuine repentance and transparency. You see those who fall away, give up their lives, wallow in sins have made one critical error. They have mixed up their why for serving Jesus. They have believed a lie that they need to help God out in being the clean up crew for others lives that may never change. They have also believed the lie that there position and recognition of a gift as some how elevated the standard they can get by with. Quite the contrary though, to whom much is given much is required. So the hope I want to offer is that no one can do this without surrender. Surrender to Christ is the most hope filled place to live though. It takes the pressure off of fixing others. It shifts us to fixing our eyes and lives on Him. He gets to be Lord and deliver us and we get to be used for His ways. Do not step into the place of hopelessness any longer because of any of the lies of self the enemy uses. It happens to us all, and the response we need is the same always. I turn myself towards Jesus and lay it down at his feet where Hope is given to every Hopeless place in me. That is the lesson I have learned as of late. I cannot fix anyone. I can encourage everyone to seek Him for themselves above every answer and complaint they have. A surrendered heart leads to salvation. A surrendered heart is what keeps us filled with hope!