A Focus on HOPE
The great love chapter of the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13, ends with “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (vs. 13). While we often, and rightly so, focus on love, it is the word hope that catches my attention as we enter this new year. With all that is happening in our world it is easy to become distracted, discouraged, and emotionally drained. Hope is lost. The recent passing of Bill C-9, which upon receiving royal assent by the Senate, will severely impact pastors and gospel preaching. A sitting government minister openly stated that parts of the Bible should be declared hate speech. The recent US intervention in Venezuela creates speculation as to how this will impact relations already tense with China, Iran, and even Mexico. Our Canadian economy weighed down by the ongoing tariff disputes and the increasingly unaffordable cost of living leaves many wondering and losing hope.
Yet, despite all this, I am choosing to focus this year on hope. Hope gives us clarity because our hope is assured, not speculated, it is guaranteed not by economics, politics, or even the pursuit of world peace, but upon the death and resurrection of Jesus, as the Apostle Peter so aptly stated, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).
When we focus on Jesus and place our hope in Him, we can not only weather the storms of life but also engage the world with the good news of Jesus as the only hope for lost people. So let us be courageous in the face of Bill C-9, let us focus on hope in the face of political and world instability, and let us look to Jesus to meet our daily needs, knowing that our hope is not based on anything other than the promises of the Word of God guaranteed by the resurrection.
A new year brings many challenges, and many voices will tempt us, distract us, and draw our focus to the problem, the crisis, and the uncertainty of our times. In those times let us cling to hope, not an artificial version of hope or desperate clinging, but a firm conviction based on the sovereignty of God, declared in the Word of God and demonstrated through the power of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives.
Hope. Above all, hope. Despite the uncertainty of our times, hope. The apostle Paul encourages us in this, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12).
Rev. Bill Allan, AGC President