Agents Of Hope By Dr. Tom Galt Part 2

[Dr. Thomas Galt]

A biblical definition of hope is an earnest expectation, a knowing. We as ministers even find ourselves loosing that hope in our flock that God brings our way. “Oh that case is so hard, can’t break through that shell. It’s too tough. I’ll never make it.” When you loose hope then your flock will loose hope. That client that has come to you will loose hope. That friend in trouble that you share with will loose hope. We need to have in ourselves that earnest expectation of what the scripture say in those that God calls He equips. He gives us, through the Holy Spirit guidance and the ability to convey that hope that people so badly need. We need to be able to stand on that scripture 1 Cor. 10: 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. We need to be the agents of the hope that no matter what comes our way, we can make it through. We can help our friends, neighbors, clients, parishioners see that in Christ there is a hope, a peace that passes all understanding. We need point the way to Christ for He is our hope of salvation in life, in love, in living. To fail is not the end of life. It may be what we as humans feel is the end. “Oh, I have lost everything that I have worked so hard for. I have lost it all.”

When I was growing up we had a farm. The farm had been in the family for over 50 years. My grandfather worked that farm and then he retired my father took it over. My brother and I grew up on that farm. Then when I was just out of college things began to go sour. Government regulations and the market crept in and we were loosing the farm. My dad encouraged me to get another job as he worried about my new family. I watched my dad as things got worse and worse. Everything he had worked for, slaved for all those years was about gone. Then, it was. The bank came in and took the farm and my dad lost it all. I worried about what he was going to do. He just looked at me and said, “Where there is hope that you will survive, you do.” He was shortly after that given a job working for the state and making very good money. He was able to pay off a lot of the debts that he couldn’t when he lost the farm. He had hope that he would survive. He did. That is what we as Christians should be doing. Pointing the way to the only hope there is in life. Jesus Christ. He is the giver of hope. When we fall, we need to get back up and dust ourselves off. We need not worry about being a failure. Be that AGENT OF HOPE that God wants you to be. You may just save a life, you may just save a marriage, you may just save a child from becoming a murderer or a drug addict for what hope you present.