Building a Framework of Hope: Part 3

Hopefully you’ve had a chance to figure out where you are RIGHT now in your relationship with Christ.

Are you hot or cold? 

Or worse…Luke Warm? (I like to use the term “Indifferent”—see what God has to say about this type of Christian in Rev 3:16)

Honestly, it doesn’t really matter where you are. 

God will meet you there. 

Therefore, wherever you are, that’s where you will begin.

Before we go any further, we need to look at 1 John 1:9:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just

and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Perhaps right now you need to pause and talk with God about where you are RIGHT now. Maybe you need to spend time confessing and accepting His unfailing forgiveness before you go any further.

If you don’t need to do this…just hold on—by the end of this post you will need to refer back to this Scripture.

EVALUATING OUR HEARTS DESIRES

In this portion we are going to discover what drives you. What has meaning in your life? What are you building your life around? 

Ask yourself:  What would completely devastate me if it was taken away?

For years my career defined me. I had little value in myself outside of that. When I became a Stay-at-Home mom I suffered an identity crisis. Who was I? How did the world view me? How did I view myself? Did I have worth?

 

Fast forward in time… After accepting my new role, I realized my biggest fear was losing my family. I loved my kids so much that I wanted to put them in a bubble to protect them. God reminded me that the things (or people) I worry about the most, are the things I’m trusting Him with the least.

But how to trust Him? What was holding me back from relying on Him?

I wasn’t sure. So I sought God more and He revealed that a great deal of my sense of security was in my husband’s job, our bank account, and possessions. I thought those things kept us “Safe” in case bad things occurred. When really it’s only God who can keep us safe.

What about you?

What defines who you are?

What’s your biggest fear?

What do you place your security in?

Finally, what happens if all these things are taken from you?

Can you survive… or will you curl up in a fetal position?

THIS IS WHY you need to build a Framework of Hope…so that if your worst case scenario happens, you can keep going.

You can’t go backward, and you can’t stay where you are. 

You must move forward. 

Do you have what it takes to be able to do this? 

While no one knows for sure how they will react when tragedy strikes, those who have a solid relationship with God have a hope that defies reality.

^“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution

or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,

nor any powers, neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God

 that is IN Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:35-39 NIV (emphasis mine)

I challenge you to review my last post in light of this one and take time to evaluate not only your relationship with God (you know, how important He is to you in your daily life) but also to assess what truly matters to you.

What are you building your life upon and around? 

What would truly shake your belief in God? 

Please keep 1 John 1:9 in mind as you do this. Continual Repentance is key in building upon the Foundation Christ laid for you.