Thinking Out Loud Subject: Hope

I have really been wrestling with the concept of hope lately. I looked up the definition of hope and here is one of the many definitions that I found.

"Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of perseverance — i.e., believing that a positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary."

In Christ we are offered this amazing hope of undying love and acceptance from the Creator of the universe. Bottom line.

I am reading this book called Redeeming Love. It is an amazing book, and I can't put it down. In this book there is a character who came from the darkest "hole" in life. She is offered hope and a new beginning and she doesn't feel like she is worthy of the hope so she denies the hope and love offered to her.

I parallel this whole concept of not feeling worthy for hope to people who are offered eternal life with Christ, and they say no! That is just crazy to me. I just don't understand. And I know it is not reality to expect that everyone accepts Christ, but when it is put out there out there so simply and so easy to attain, why not? When you tell someone the good news about Christ and that he loves you so much no matter where you have been, he loves you right where you are. People think that is to easy. They start saying things like "wait, that's it? what is the catch? that can't be it?" When in all reality that is it. I just think people make things to complicated, when hope is staring them in the face. In all reality it wasn't meant to be this complicated. No strings attached it is offered and in human nature we add strings and conditions just to make things complicated.

If only hope was understood by all.

-Mapes