Rule #2-Be Irrationally Hopeful
1 Corinthians 13, Luke 7:36-50
Hope is dreaming impossible dreams.
“Love never gives up…” (1 Corinthians 13:7)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13 NRSV
Hope is the confident expectation that God will act.
“Love…never loses faith.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)
“On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” -Zephaniah 3:16-17 NLT
Hope is seeing the light in the midst of darkness.
“Love…is always hopeful.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)
“I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” –Lamentations 3:20-24 NLT
Go Deeper:
- After someone lets you down a certain number of times it is rational to give up on them. Why does God’s kind of love never give up, lose faith, or discard hope for anyone?
- Having hope for someone does not mean not setting appropriate boundaries. For example, someone who has repeatedly stolen money might not be appropriate to make the treasurer of your group, However, setting boundaries in love is different from seeking to punish people vindictively. How can you tell the difference?
- In Luke 7, when Jesus said to the woman, “your sins have been forgiven, go and sin no more,” how did he show hope for her in at least two different ways?
Rev. Brandon Dasinger
Teaching Pastor and Director of Missions