I Corinthians 13: 7 KJV
The third phrase in verse 7 tells us that love “hopes all things.” This is simply a step beyond believing. The meaning is something like this. There are times in life when you face situations so difficult that faith is not possible. You would gladly give the benefit of the doubt but there is none to give. You search for the silver lining but the angry clouds overhead have no silver lining.
Some of you may be facing a situation like that right now. In your life there is a difficult circumstance for which there are no easy answers. It may be your marriage. It may be one of your children. It may be your family. It may be an illness. It may be impending financial disaster. It may be your job. Whatever it is, only one word applies: IMPOSSIBLE. You have cried and wept and prayed and done everything you know how to do and nothing seems to help.
[In my own life, I have experienced this within the past 6 months. I believed that this was one of most stretching times in my life. Ever feel like you knew God was there, but it felt like He was so far away? Once I explained to a former student that when it felt like God was far away, He was just helping someone who needed Him a little more. “He would never leave His own,” I explained. That rationale worked for an adolescent. So when I go through, I recall those words to my mind so that I have a little hope. With God all things are possible—I repeat to myself over and over again. It works in the closest of relationships!]
What does love do in an impossible situation? What do you do when you can’t believe anymore? You hope. That’s a step beyond belief. Belief is finding a tiny grain of evidence to rest on. Hope rests on God alone.
When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, where was Judas? According to John 13, he was right there in the room. Did Jesus know what Judas was about to do? Absolutely. He even told him to go out and do it. Did Jesus wash Judas’ feet? Yes. And he was not play-acting either. How could he do it? He did it because he loved Judas even though he knew Judas would soon betray him. That’s how love works. No matter how impossible the situation, no matter if it looks like there is no possibility of change, love always hopes. It looks to the future, not to the past.
[Notice: Love ALWAYS hopes! Not sometimes…ALL of the time!]
Let’s apply this principle to our closest relationships. We are often told that we must accept people just the way they are. That is true in one sense and untrue in another sense. Sometimes we are tempted to throw up our hands and say, “This is the way you are and no matter what I do, you are never going to change.” That’s not acceptance. That’s fatalism. It’s only true if there is no God. Biblical acceptance is based on hope in God. It says, “I accept that this is the way you are right now. But I don’t believe you are going to stay this way. I’m not giving up hope.” When hope is gone, life is gone. To hope is to believe in God in spite of what you see around you.
[I am so guilty of thinking that a loved one will never change. Read again: THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE--Not if we are going to get to the AGAPE kind of Love that the Bible teaches to have for one another. It wasn’t until I met *TC* that I learned this lesson. I pray for TC all the time, “This is the way you are right now and I love you like this, but I believe that God will do a GREATER work in you than you can even see.” I really do believe this for TC. When it comes down to it, there is nothing in me that is willing to deal with anything in anyone that is uncomfortable! It is God alone that makes it possible for me to be even say, “I Love you,” and mean it! I am at a place where I can take God at His word and HOPE that He sees enough in me to keep giving me such amazing loved ones. I believe that the last statement “when hope is gone, life is gone” is very true. When we lose hope in the ones we love, the life of that relationship is gone, but again…With God all things are possible. (Matt 19:26) TC, I love you and can't wait until He brings you back.]
**Our President Barack H. Obama is known for saying, “While we breathe, we hope.” I want to be that hopeful. With every breath in my body, I want to be optimistic, never giving up hope in those I Love and more importantly in GOD! Continue to pray for me...**
Tiffaney
(words in [] are the opinions of Tiffaney K. Draper. Sermon from www.keepbelieving.com)
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