13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In a world that can produce discouragement and even despair in our lives, it is great to know that we have a source of unmatched hope, producing joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. When we are feeling worn out or our strength is used up, God can give us the inner fortitude that can build us up and give us encouragement to face the challenges of this life. He has the resources we need - spiritual, emotional, even physical - in order to enable us to walk in the abundant life about which Jesus teaches.
At the conclusion of a section of teaching dealing with the future, documented in John 16, we read this:
31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
And verse 33 offers hope when we feel the world is closing in on us:
+++++
31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
And verse 33 offers hope when we feel the world is closing in on us:
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
There's an aspect of the General Social Survey that indicates, among many other things, how evangelical Christians view their work and their household income. According to a piece in the Gleanings section of the Christianity Today website, that piece of the survey indicates that almost half of all evangelicals say their income is not enough to pay the bills, one-third say it's hard to take time off from work to care for their family, and many feel “used up” at the end of the day.
And by the end of the day, 4 out of 10 evangelicals say that they often felt "used up." 3 out of 10 said their mental health was not good for at least one day out of the past 30, with one-fifth indicating it was not good for 15 or more days out of the last 30.
There's an aspect of the General Social Survey that indicates, among many other things, how evangelical Christians view their work and their household income. According to a piece in the Gleanings section of the Christianity Today website, that piece of the survey indicates that almost half of all evangelicals say their income is not enough to pay the bills, one-third say it's hard to take time off from work to care for their family, and many feel “used up” at the end of the day.
In fact, 50.4 percent of all Americans told the survey their income is insufficient, and evangelicals as a whole fall right in line. But, feeling cash-strapped doesn’t stop evangelicals from working hard. About four in 10 say that at no point in the past week did they not work hard enough, according to the GSS. Fewer than one in 10 say they did not work hard enough during half or more of the week. The responses are essentially identical to Americans overall.
There was also a section dealing with how evangelicals relate to science. Even though 8 in 10 say science and technology make our lives better, 55% agree that science makes our way of life change "too fast." This is comparable to Americans as a whole.
Regarding origins, 69% of evangelicals say the universe did not begin with a huge explosion, such as the Big Bang, while 3 out of 4 say human beings did not "develop from earlier species of animals." 53% of Americans believe the universe began with an explosions and that humans developed from earlier species of animals.
The headline on the Christianity Today piece says, "Overworked, Underpaid, and Cautious About Science." There seems to be a feeling of money being spent and human energy being spent, as well, among evangelical Christians, and a sense of despair may have set in for many on certain days during the month.
The survey paints a sobering picture and can provide us with an opportunity to see that as believers, we can have hope, even in the midst of challenges.
For one thing, we can look to God as our provider. The Bible teaches that, as stewards of the resources that He owns and allows us to use, He desires for us to be in a state where the bills are paid and that we are abiding in or working toward a state of generosity. There are many families struggling today under the burden of financial debt, and the Lord can be depended upon to help bring victory in this important area - it may involve a more sufficient job, or there could be a spending issue at play, which the Lord can help to correct.
Also, we can recognize that our God calls us to develop a sound mind. The survey indicates that Christians are working hard, and you can expect that there is a need for rest and sleep at the end of the day, according to our biological cycle. But to feel worn out and used up, dealing with issues that negatively impact our thought processes, to me, indicates that we need to get a greater realization of the abundant life. Mental illness is an important area that the church needs to address, and to direct believers into ways to experience the peace of God and release His power in the mind are important - He wants each of us to be whole in Christ.
Finally, while we enjoy science and technology, it seems that many think those elements can drastically affect our lives to a greater degree than they should. If life is moving too fast or if we are feeling overloaded or overstimulated due to the amount of information that we are absorbing due to technological connectivity, then perhaps we need to unplug from the technical, at least temporarily, and allow ourselves to experience the rest that we are promised in the Lord. The Holy Spirit wants to drive our lives; He does not desire that we are driven by the influence of this world's priorities.
No comments:
Post a Comment