Can Anyone Be Thankful?
It was an early morning call just a week ago. My wife listened as a young girl began to pour out her heart. She was wondering why she should live at all. My lovely wife slowly continued the conversation via text to this little heart halfway around the world. The crises melted over the next few days. Almost two years ago another young one came in the door at our overseas quarters with a clasping hug and tears. “Why should I live?” That crises also passed slowly. I greeted a young man in a far-away place. He said, “I’m not sure what I want to do, but I really don’t think I will keep doing what I am doing.” These kinds of crossroads are not uncommon for the young. I slowly explained how the love of God was big enough to know where he was, and if he listened, he could walk forward in faith.
How can we possibly speak with authority, when we live in a privileged country, and many of those we talk to have very few choices or reason to hope?
We met with a group of people a few weeks ago who go to regions full of circumstances that make living a matter of survival and being a God-follower a threat to well-being. How can I possibly encourage them to keep training others in these places, and reach even further, touching the young who have little hope of a good future? Christ died to set us free from sin and death. It is not a matter of circumstances being either too good or too bad. Rather, it is a matter of knowing the greatness of our God and His intention to gather those who call on Him.
In this day, why are so many without hope, in seemingly fixed and difficult circumstances, while those who seem privileged with peace and wealth move forward with confidence tainted with materialism? Can we be thankful? How can hearts be lifted, whether it be a poor boy with nothing or a rich and older person without any physical worries?
The answer is simple. The God of the Bible, who is also Creator and Sustainer of the world, provides hope through a relationship with Him. That relationship is tangible, real, and sure. The good news is embraced by the Bible, where God lays out some basics: He made a perfect world (Genesis 1 and 2), is aware that things broke near the beginning because of sin (Genesis 3 and following) and worked through human history to provide the way to be free from sin through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, trusting in Him births us again — restoring a relationship with Him from the inside out that is not dependent on fallible human ideas or circumstances. Christ died and rose again to provide assurance that we have a future in Him, even when the life we see on earth seems hopeless.
This is why, whether it be rich Nicodemus (John 3), a worldly woman (John 4), the Athenians with nothing better to do than talk about the latest things (Acts 17), or the thief on the cross beside Jesus (Luke 23), we can choose to put our trust in Him. It cost God His Son to make a way for each of us, and Christ rose from the dead to provide the assurance of our salvation. We only need to repent of our own way, ask to receive Him in our dark heart, and He transfers us from darkness to the light. Christ is the light of life and intends for us to know Him — forever.
For this reason, we speak to everyone, and especially the young, who ask, “Is there hope?” So, when the next knock on the door happens overseas, or an injured heart full of sin, unforgiveness, and even hatred is in our sphere of influence, we remember God’s message and begin to speak if there is opportunity.
We have something to say.
And we are thankful from the heart.
