Sometimes we can get so excited about sharing or doing what we think we are supposed to do that we forget how those around us are affected. Hope is an easy thing to want to bring into the lives of others or even ourselves. We can jump in with both feet and run toward what looks “right.”
At times we think we are doing the right thing, when in fact we are not. I do this in all kinds of relationships, not just with Jesus. It is so easy to get caught up in what we want, even if it comes from a good place or with good intentions.
I remember a story of King Saul when he was supposed to go into battle and kill everyone and every thing. He went into battle, but he kept the king alive and the best of the animals for sacrifice because HE thought that would make God happy. He had good intentions—but he was wrong. What would’ve pleased God was if Saul had followed his instructions.
I am guilty of this over and over again. I “think” I am doing the right thing. I “think” that something would make God or someone else happy. I have the best of intentions at heart. But I miss the mark.
In the process, we also do things that Jesus has told us not to. Maybe it’s judging someone, or not extending patience, or even holding onto pride and selfishness. It may not seem to be a “bad” thing, but it can still hurt others.
Sometimes it’s following the Lord in the details that creates obedience. In those details, we please God and others, even if we don’t fully understand in the moment.
Hope comes in many forms. Tonight, the reminder of that hope came through a conversation. I was reminded that the people that God prepares our lives for can bring hope when we least expect it. When that happens, we must consider more before we act. We must make sure that we are doing not what we want or think is the right thing, but what we have truly been instructed to do.
Keith Sampson
Executive Coordinator – God of Hope