Hopelessness

This morning, while in the shower, I began thinking about the big load of research and study I have to do on conflict resolution for our church's next marriage workshop. We have just finished our second 5-week workshop on Gary Chapman's Five Love Languages. This time, we had 4 couples join us and out of the four, one is a nonbeliever couple and another couple is very young in their faith (we're not even certain of their salvation.) This workshop was very different from the last. God brought to our midst couples who are dealing with some very serious issues. When I say "serious", I mean SERIOUS. Although Jason and I have had some training in marriage and counseling, we've felt pretty overwhelmed in knowing how to tackle or even help the couples. The problems are beyond what we've been prepared for. Please pray for wisdom and that the Holy Spirit would truly work among the couples.

But, anyway, I got a little sidetracked...I was telling you about me being deep in thought while taking a shower. I felt a big burden. How do we help these couples?? Then, a huge sense of hopelessness and despair hit me as I was thinking of tactics, theories, and other things I've learned in my counseling classes. Nothing professional counselors, great books on marriage, us, or anything can help these couples if they don't to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Yes, counseling is good and it helps some, but the truth is, everything counseling can offer will only treat some symptoms but not deal with the core issue which only God can address and deal with. So, with this thought, I felt a bit helpless.

I got to thinking about our neighbor from across the street who dropped by last night for a little while. Somehow, God opened the door for an interesting conversation and she said that although she has been raised Catholic, if she could choose a religion for herself, she would choose to be a Buddhist. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, she began complaining about the injustices and evil in the world. "If God exists, then why do good people suffer and evil people win? If God exists, then why does my 1 yr old daughter have to be connected to tubes to feed instead of eating like a normal child?!" Again, hopelessness. To an unbeliever, life seems completely unfair and meaningless.

Jason read a sad article on the internet the other day about a couple in India who was in such despair over their dead dog that they both decided to end their lives by hanging themselves. Can you imagine??

While thinking about all these people who are going through such tough times and have nothing to cling on, nothing to hope for, I believe the Holy Spirit allowed my heart to feel a little of their despair and heartbreak. By this point, I couldn't control the tears. How do people go through life feeling such sorrow? How can people live without hope in Jesus? I can understand now why people choose to end their lives.

I think there are three kinds of Christians, but most, fall into two categories:

1. Christians who know they have hope in Christ, but live with the same kind of despair as those who do not possess this Hope.

2. Christians who do know of their hope in Christ, live knowing and experiencing this hope, but are calloused and indifferent to the suffering around them, especially that of those who don't know about this Hope. Yes, they may pray once or twice for so-and-so's uncle who's struggling with cancer, or the friend who's just been laid-off, or the neighbor who just lost a loved one, but for the most part has a difficult time truly empathizing. I know this kind of Christian well, because I consider myself in this category. Can you think of the last time you weeped with someone who was going through suffering? Let's go a little further, can you think of the last time you cried for someone who doesn't know Christ? I know I can't think of the last time I did that....until today, in the shower of all places!

And the third category of Christians:
3. Those who know the Hope, live experiencing Hope, feel and cry for those who don't have it and urgently, boldly share it. These are rare, but they truly do exist. I've met some and they're truly inspiring. And, I'm proud to say I'm actually related to a couple of these rare Christians: my parents-in-law. Amazing people.

So, with Easter being celebrated this weekend, I pray that God would help me become a #3 Christian. Please pray for us this weekend. We are having a seeker-sensitive program and several of our neighbors are coming. Pray that God would do amazing things among us, among them.