If we Christians were to be honest about what we thought and what we hoped - if we were to be brutally honest about ourselves, we would see our sin much more clearly. As a brief example - think on the so called "false hope". I think of this as the LCMS is having a big meeting dealing with structure - often in Synodical politics there is a bunch of false hope. There are plenty of times we place hopes in things that are fleeting and futile - if we do X, our congregation will grow - if I do Y, the cutest girl in high school will fall in love with me - if we elect official X, everything will be better.
Let's be honest about what these are. These are idols that you think will provide the things you covet. We bow to the plan or person that will rub our back the right way. We don't think of these that way - but when it comes down to it, do we look to God to provide, or do we trust in princes, even though they are earthborn and soon decay?
Just something to think about.
2 comments:
I agree that hope that does not trust in God for the outcome is a false hope.
This does not mean a person does not work for restoration or campaign to elect certain officials. A person does such things because it is the right thing to do, trusting that God has the outcome in His hands...
Oh, indeed! We should be involved, we should be active, we should work hard and diligently to do that which is right and to be a benefit to our neighbors - but we should remember that this will always be a struggle, that it will be something that we have to continually work for.
We aren't to wait for heroes to sweep in on a white horse and make everything great for us socially, or in the Church. It doesn't work that way - rather, that just leads at best to disappointment, and at worst rank idolatry.
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