Articles
No God, No Hope
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At that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12)
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Writing to a group of predominantly Gentile Christians, Paul describes their pre-conversion life in dark tones. His coupling of the two phrases "no hope" and "without God" draws our attention here. It's a simple connection: life without God is a life without hope.
When we choose to live our lives without God, we face the universe utterly alone. All the injustices, all the cruelties, all the sufferings, all the unanswered questions that cry out for answers--they are chasms we cannot bridge by our own strength. And what lies at the end of this depressing journey? Nothing! Death and darkness get the last word. Every time.
What an awful existence. Most people on this path deal with these existential questions by simply pushing them away. But deep inside, they know the truth. It's no wonder our culture is experiencing a mental health crisis.
But bring God into the equation and an entirely new perspective comes into focus. With God at the center of our worldview, everything takes on a whole new meaning, including our life beyond the grave. The formula is simple: God = hope. Amen!
But before we get carried away in our enthusiasm, let's make sure we understand what we're saying here. Having God in our life is much more than merely believing He exists. It's more than offering empty platitudes about God's greatness, goodness, love, and so forth. It goes deeper than that. Having God in our life means He is the foundation of everything.
Every decision we make starts with Him: What would He have us to do? How will this or that decision glorify Him? Sometimes His will is not easy; are we prepared to accept it anyway?
Every crisis we face is measured against the greater glory that awaits us beyond. We are "hard-pressed, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Cor. 4:8-9). Because we see the bigger picture, we handle the rough edges of life with greater grace.
Every relationship with people around us is governed by the humility of knowing that they are sons and daughters of the same God; therefore, we will treat them with dignity and respect--even when they mistreat us.
Every mistake we make--and we make plenty of them--has both a cause and a solution. We have a means of forgiveness, as well as a path to better understand and avoid the pitfalls going forward.
If your present life is a mess, take a closer look at the role God plays in it. He can fix what's broken, but only if you let Him take full control.
--David
