Hope

Enjoying the Reign


It’s become commonplace to “become a fan” of various things on Facebook. From M&M’s to “taking naps” you can pretty much post your allegiance or affection for anything and everything. There are even “smell of rain” groups where individuals can affirm the benefits of a freshly watered Earth.

Enjoying the rain is not a new phenomenon. After all, Fred Astaire danced in it, and many a school children has spent hours playing in downpours and their resultant puddles. In our personal lives though, we often refer to rain as something to suffer through. We talk about “storms” and “downpours” recognizing that a deluge of circumstances can often make us feel like we are drowning in the rain rather than splashing around it.

However, Christians can look forward to a different type of reign; the reign that comes when the only Authority is the One that commands the waters to fall. We can look forward to that day knowing that the rain in this life can help prepare us for the future Reign. The temporal storms prepare us for the heavenly peace. We may still find it difficult to enjoy the rain, but hopefully we can more rightly consider its benefit. As rain on Earth is needed for plants to grow, rain in our own lives is needed for the same reason. By persevering through the storm, we are better prepared for the coming Reign. And that’s when we will truly understand what enjoyment is.

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Hope Purpose

Crisis=Opportunity

It’s been popularly reported that President Obama’s Chief of Staff has a defined philosophy when it comes to the economic recession. Namely, to never waste a crisis. The idea behind this theory is that a crisis affords one an opportunity to accomplish something that wouldn’t be possible if everything was “normal.” Emergencies create panic, panic creates a heighten need of security, and this heightened need creates the chance for someone to step in and be the hero. Crisis, in other words, allows people to accomplish what might have otherwise been impossible in order to provide a semblance of peace.

Now, assuming that the philosophy has some veracity to it, the question then what is its significance outside the world of politics? For Christians, we have to recognize that it’s often when people are in the most need, i.e. in their own personal critical state of affairs, that they look for answers. Just like the economic recession has caused many to look to our nation’s leaders for solutions, individual’s crisis prompts people to find what that which can be depended on. Someone’s personal crisis then becomes an opportunity to minister to them, to show them the only true Foundation, and to bring them to the Rock that doesn’t move.

However, the other lesson to be learned, is that our commitment to doing the right thing shouldn’t be contingent upon people’s response to it. I’m sure that there were many people who were thrilled to obtain mortgages that they couldn’t afford when the economy was in stellar shape. However, it doesn’t mean that offering them was the right thing to do. In other words, a crisis might bring an opportunity but better to have the right foundation in place to weather the crisis with, rather than building in the midst of a storm. A lot of times when things are going great, we don’t consider speaking to someone about Jesus. We wait until the crisis hits, and they feel the need for answers. But in doing so, we’re helping to ensure that they don’t have the power of Christ to navigate through life’s trials and travails. People may not like hearing about their lack of security when everything seems good, but just because they don’t want to hear it, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t sound the alarm.

A crisis may equal an opportunity. But instead of waiting for the opportunity, why don’t we make our own? It may be harder for us, but it is the more caring thing for the other and as Christians, shouldn’t that be our more important concern?

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