There are times during some of my runs that I feel so discouraged. Like yesterday. The marathon is a few weeks away, so I was trying to get in one more longer run-13 to 15 miles. I held that goal loosely because I went into the run already tired. Three or four miles in my toes started to go numb. I had started listening to sermons during my longer runs, which helps keep my mind from obsessing over how long I've run, how much longer I have to go, and what parts of my body are aching to stop. It sounds miserable, I know. Not all of my runs are like this, which is why I continue to run. But six miles in, the balls of my feet were already sore and my toes were prickly and painful to step on. I started to feel really discouraged, thinking: I'm not even 1/4 of the way into a marathon, how in the world am I going to be able to run 26 miles???
I tried to pray, I tried to focus on the beauty around me as I ran, but I still felt discouraged. As all of this was happening, I was listening to Tim Keller's sermon on a "Living Hope" from 1 Peter 1:3-9. Peter talks about how "God, the Father has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead." (verse 3). Tim Keller reflected on the fact that a lot of believers don't experience this "living hope" because we spend our time putting hope in other things. Putting our hope in anything other that Christ, will eventually lead us down the path to anxiousness (meaning: without peace) and eventually despair. Why? Because those things will eventually disappoint us or fail us, ultimately letting us down.
What is this living hope? I'll tell you what it is NOT--our circumstances, wealth, being in control, our good deeds, jobs, significant others, family, friends, children, exercise, sports, heroes, even heroes of the faith, church, just to name a few. Putting our hope in anything other than Christ Himself, will eventually lead us down a dark road to hopelessness. Jesus left His glory in heaven and humbled Himself to become human. He lived the human life without sin, but yet experienced every temptation, hardship and struggle that we will ever experience. Then He died the death we should have died, separating Himself from the Father, in our place. The Father then raised Christ from death and seated Him beside the Father in heaven. This, alone, is the reason that we have hope. It's the living hope, the resurrected and ascended Christ, us sharing in His inheritance. All we have to do is just believe on Him....put our hope in Him.
This living hope is the reason that Paul and Silas, although beaten close to death and imprisoned could rejoice, singing hymns and songs of praise to God in the midst of their suffering. It's why Horatio G. Spafford could pen the hymn, "It is Well With My Soul" even after he learned of his four daughters drowning on their trip across the ocean to England. Whatever our circumstances and suffering, we can be at peace because of this "new birth into the living hope."
I was putting my hope in my body or the ability to finish my run. This only left me anxious, until I realized what I was doing and repented, asking Christ to be my hope. My body didn't feel any better, but my heart was at peace, drawing my strength from my Savior.
Please pray that the students at Hope Academy would begin to understand their need to hope in Christ. Having good grades and getting into a good High School or College are great goals, but even these will leave them empty because at some point they will fail or lose heart. But if they can start putting their hope in Christ....Wow!!! I believe that God is doing and has plans for big things for these students! Many lives will be changed through their encounters with our Living Hope!
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