Thrill of Hope Part 2
A thrill of hope: what a statement! What exactly is that hope we’re talking about? Well, we see it in Matthew 12:21, “In His name the nations will put their hope.” The name the Word is talking about there is of course the name of Jesus! He is the hope of the world. He is what brings hope in even the darkest situations and most trying circumstances. In this broken, fallen world we find ourselves in, Jesus truly is the only thing that can bring hope. But, hope is another story for another day. Today I want to focus on the “thrill” part of the aforementioned statement.
Anyone who has found themselves on a trip to a theme park or the Callahan fair with me knows that those rides and myself… we have an interesting relationship. I have a bit of a motion sickness problem. And by bit, I mean I can’t even ride the teacups without feeling the overwhelming desire to blow chunks (people my age will immediately think of Wayne’s World at this point, but stay focused!) Any ride that has any kind of spinning or strange motion, it’s a no-go for this guy. However, roller coasters are the one thing I really enjoy that don’t make me sick. When hearing about our Christmas series: A Thrill of Hope, I began to think about how much the thrill of a roller coaster ride actually relates to our Christian walk.
At some point, we are all waiting in line to get on the ride with Jesus. That waiting period comes with some nervousness, anxiety about the unknown, and a whole lot of giving up control (newsflash, you have zero control on a roller coaster). Unfortunately, some people choose to not even get on this ride and instead choose to walk away and live a life outside of God’s provision and protection. But for those of us that do hop on, oh what a ride it is!
You start by getting in your seat and getting strapped in. By now, you have a lot of nervous energy. You may be asking yourself questions like “Where is this ride going? Is it safe? How many ups and downs will I experience?” Then, the ride starts. Typically, it begins with a slow ascent. How many of us can relate to this in our walk with Jesus? We got saved and everything was amazing. We were walking on cloud 9. It was a beautiful view and everything was peaceful. Then BAM - the bottom dropped out. Life seemed (and still may seem) to be coming at us at 100mph with all kinds of twists and turns, ups and downs, and maybe even a few loop-the-loops (yes, that is actually how it’s spelled and I’m just as shocked as you are). It’s so easy to get caught up and fixated on those twists instead of what’s actually keeping us safe.
I know I’ve personally found that I have the most fun when I lift my hands on the roller coaster. It’s an act of complete surrender and trust. I’ve also found when I’m at the most peace in my relationship with God is when I completely surrender everything to Him. Not just the bad things in my life, but also the good (my calling, my wife, my kids). On both a roller coaster and in life, surrendering is so counterintuitive. Your whole body is telling you to grab on and control what you can. But, the Word tells us to live differently. Not to be conformed to the pattern of this world. In fact, in James 4:7, it gives us a very simple instruction…”So then, surrender to God.” Oh, okay. That seems pretty easy, right? Just surrender to Him and everything is going to be alright.
Nope, it actually doesn’t say that at all. It goes on to say that if we move our heart closer and closer to God, He will come even closer to you. What a promise that is! So I’ll leave you with this: if you’re already riding this roller coaster of faith in Jesus, enjoy the ride, lift up your hands, praise Him and worship Him on the highs, the lows, the twists and turns (and even on the loop-the-loops). If you’re still waiting in line or maybe even walked away completely, it’s never too late. Hop on the ride, buckle in, surrender your life to Jesus and enjoy the ride of your life- truly a thrill of hope!
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
James 4:7-10