Be happy in your hope

We, Mary and I, went to help feed some students at Tulane last Sunday evening, and we heard a great message from the campus minister, Morgan Guyton.

He used the passage from the 12th chapter of the book of Romans. I've not been able to get it out of my mind.

It reads: Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. Don't hesitate to be enthusiastic -- be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you're in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Contribute to the needs of God's people, and welcome strangers into your home. Bless people who harass you -- bless and don't curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying."

What a wonderful issue about the way we should live. I could break it all good, and Morgan centered on Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. But I want to center on the phrase "Be happy in your hope."

Have you imagined what it means to have hope, lately? If you are, or are willing to become, a son or daughter of God -- accepting Jesus as Lord -- and fully accept all the things an adopted child could possibly have, you have hope unlike any who do not accept him.

In this world today, with ISIL and ISIS and who knows what's next, hope is a valued commodity, is it not?

We are no better than anyone, but we who stand our ground for Jesus, devote ourselves to prayer with Jesus, and love those strangers into our homes is the standard (or should be) for Christianity.

Be happy in your hope.

Worry not about Ferguson
Worry not about the Ukraine
Worry not about Gaza
Worry not about the economy
Worry not about jobs
Worry not about the future
Worry not about age, or gender, or lack of mobility or finance or whatever the case might be.

Be happy in your hope. It is all you need.