In March of 2021 on Episode 281 of “That Sounds Fun Podcast”, Annie F. Downs talked with John Eldredge about trauma. One of Eldredge’s statements, written in my journal, is still applicable a year later: “Hopelessness is the real pandemic.” Tears well up in my eyes when I consider the hopelessness of people around me. I even hear it in the voices of fellow believers.
We are bombarded with information about hopelessness. Do these stories that feed our prayers drain our souls of hope? How do we mere humans hold so much sorrow and pain in our fragile bodies? We are slowly being crushed by the weight of it all until hope leaks out of our souls, our spirits are withered, and we are given over to anxiety, fear and unbelief.
Why do I use the term unbelief? It is good to care about the world around us. It’s not all bad to be in the know. The Bible tells us to bear one another’s burdens in prayer. If my thoughts are more fixated on the chaos and trauma around me than on the One who has overcome the world, I not only lose hope, but peace as well (Phil. 4:6-7; John 6:33).
There is an underlying message in the news and it always brings into doubt the power of God. There is this unspoken question: What are the odds? We look at our lives through the lenses of the political climate, the economy or anger, and wonder what are the odds of this turning out well? In the Kingdom of God there are no odds. Life is not a gamble. God is in control. And hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5, NASB).
Yes, we live in a world where sin seems to be in control. The reality of life on earth is that sin has consequences and the people of this world suffer from acts of darkness rooted in the hearts of humankind. We often blame God for what emerges from the dark corners of our hearts. We fill up before breakfast on the voices of those divulging news pieced together with the intent of influencing our views and responses. We are gassed with fear grenades. One. After. Another.
“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man’s whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.”
Some things that stand out to me: the righteous bring light, the words of wisdom give health to the whole body, and our hearts are the wellspring of life. Each of us must know our limits of being informed – the balance between news and the Gospel (Good News). When I can no longer bring light and life to the conversation then I have ingested too much news or traumatic information. Hope is necessary for thriving. I long to hand out hope. To know the truth of the Gospel is to know that we have hope.
What are you putting your hope in?
How do you cultivate hope in your life and your community?
In Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us to think on these things: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
When I am tied in knots about what’s going on the world, feeling fearful, and losing hope then I know I’ve overindulged on the darkness. I care. I pray. I break from listening to the media. Do you find it challenging to guard your heart above all else? What are some ways you are intentional about guarding your heart and holding onto the hope of the Gospel?
Reminds me of GIGO, garbage in garbage out. Hopefully, I am working towards more good than garbage coming in. Thank you for the good words.
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