Have you ever been given up on by another human?
Have you ever had someone tell you that they don’t have hope for you, a situation, or a circumstance.
Have you ever heard someone tell you that they are giving up on someone else?
Why do you think this happens?
What happens in the human brain that causes us to lose sight of hope and faith in other people? In our fellow brothers and sisters. Even in our world that was been hand crafted.
I’ve heard many excuses over the years of my misty life. But the one that seems to reoccur the most is weariness.
“I’m tired”
“I can’t keep doing this for them”
“They are a lost cause”
“I’m completely exhausted”
“I need a break”
“That culture is doomed”
“They are too far down a dark path”
“I don’t deserve this, I deserve better”
Or the one that gets me the most is
“It’s too painful. It’s too hard.”
Well I got a news flash people. If HE would have given up on us and lost hope in the human race, we all would either
A: not even be in existence
Or
B: be rotting in hell.
Which would you prefer?
Personally, I’d really rather not have any of those options because quite frankly that sounds horrifyingly miserable.
Talk about being in a dark place.
What if Jesus threw himself down on the floor and cried about how painful and hard it is to be walking up to His own death sentence?
Jesus could have said screw you all, I’m done. He didn’t have to come down to earth at all. I’m sure He was pleasantly comfortable in Heaven dancin’ around with our main Man.
But instead, God chose otherwise.
Well all know how it goes.
“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever BELIEVES in Him may have eternal life.”
(John 3:16NIV)
I’m not quite sure if people really understand the weight of this verse.
Would you ever willingly send your ONLY child to war, while knowing for sure, that he would be beaten and put death on a cross, for a race that breaks your heart every single day. For a race, a culture, a cause, a person that doesn’t deserve an ounce of salvation, love or grace.
I know I sure wouldn’t want to send off my only child into combat just in the HOPES that someone might understand the love, hope and grace that I have for them.
I’d say, “efff that. I want my child safe where I can love them. Forget the rest. Let them fend for themselves.”
Let’s all just be honest with one another for a hot sec and agree that 99% of us think like that. And if you don’t, then come talk to me and teach me your ways.
If you really sit and think about it, Jesus went through hell to save us. His disciples still doubted Him even after He performed miracles in front of their eyes. He was beaten to death and publicly humiliated by carrying “His” cross up the mountain, to later humbly hang.
Guys. That wasn’t HIS cross. That was OUR cross.
He DIED for us. He died for the world. He died for every single race and culture. He died for our trashy, skanky sins that reek of selfishness and arrogance.
He shed His blood for love.
He didn’t have to die. He had the power to snap His strong fingers at any split second and He could’ve peaced out, back to Heaven where it was cozy.
But instead, He stayed.
He walked through it all.
HE, the King of Kings HUMBLED Himself FOR us. The reckless humans.
It’s an unfathomable love. A supernatural hope. A mind blowing faith.
Jesus gave us the perfect picture of hope for one another. He gave us the untainted image of what unconditional love looks like.
He NEVER gave up on us. Nor will He ever give up on us. He never lost hope in us.
He never even left us.
If He didn’t leave us back then. What makes you think He will ever leave us now?
Why do we think we deserve excuses to abandon one another?
Why do we think it’s okay to give up on each other or anything for that matter, when the most important person, who saves us out of our pride and the pit of hell, never even flinched to display His hope and love for us.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever understand this. I suppose it is a flaw in human nature and the fallen world.
What I do know is that I desire to look more like Him in this area. I don’t want people, nations, or systems to ever think that I’m giving up on them or that I’ve tossed them into a trashcan that’s plastered with a label that reads hopeless.
Nahh. That ain’t how Jesus did it and so I for sure, do not have any excuses to do it any other way than He did.
Don’t be so quick to give up. Don’t even think about speaking hopelessness over anything or anyone.
Nothing about that reflects Jesus’ heart.
Think about what would have happened if Jesus did that to us. Then come and tell me if you will ever loose hope or faith in someone or something again.
Instead, button it up, put on your armor that Jesus gave to you on purpose and extend the same LOVE and HOPE that Jesus injects to you everyday.
And don’t think for a second that it will be easy. It sure as heck wasn’t a cake walk for Jesus, so it won’t be any sweeter for us.
It’s whether or not you are going to CHOOSE to keep on loving, to keep havin’ faith and to persevere through the messiness of believing in the many reasons why Jesus died for us.
To love one another and to have hope in each other.
