The God of Hope!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 NIV

Most of us hope something to happen, especially our future dreams. Because of this, we put faith in ourselves and strive after what we want to something to happen or what we want to do in our future. I had two future dreams when I was young. The first future dream that I had is doctor because I probably wanted to cure people if they have diseases or something. After a while, I changed my future dream into pro-gamer of StarCraft, which is Korean famous war game, due to the fact that I liked it so much that it was kind of my addiction. I believe my father even addicted to it because I used to watch him play, and he spent his night to play it sometimes. I still like StarCraft but I believe that future dream of mine is not God’s way. In addition, I cannot ever fulfill that dream in my own strength because I need to use two hands for it. I have known that I need to use two hands of mine to play that game from sometime in the beginning of having pro-gamer as my future dream, but I still hoped.

However, when I became a Christian for a while, I began to have my new future dream—to be a Christian Writer. This does not mean that our future dreams have to be theological one when we become followers of Jesus Christ. I believe any career or job would be fine for all of us as long as we use God’s strength (Philippians 4:13) and we are worshiping God for it until the end of the age (Colossians 1:16-20). Nevertheless, the main reason why I want to be a Christian Writer is to glorify God until the end of the age (Colossians 3:1-4). In fact, the Spirit of God often hovers over me and empowering me to write devotionals for others (Acts 1:8). Because of this, I have quite a few of social-networking and blog websites that I can post my devotionals online. Devotionals are just one of kind of Christian-writings so I have decided that I am going to try and write different kinds of the writings when I have enough knowledge to be a Christian Writer. Because of this, I am willing to attend a Bible College through distance-learning, due to transportation and time-management. Although, I may be unsuccessful Christian Writer, it is more than worth a try. The main reason for this is that I have complete reliance of the Spirit that I once did not have a teachable spirit within me.Without the Spirit of God living within me, I have no idea how to write devotionals. However, I realised that I must have the Spirit of God, continually guiding me, as well as a teachable spirit. This is because I am able to learn how to connect the bridge between the Bible World and the culture-world from others. Thus, I am reading a lot of devotionals, even though I should read a lot of Christian books as well. In addition to this, I have to continue watching online sermons and free online biblical lectures and I have to do free online course that my teacher and mentor gave me to do. Nonetheless, I am doing all these for the glory of God.

Last of all, I am hoping to leave my legacy when I would be taken to the kingdom of heaven, that one true and serious Christian would continue on what I have been doing. However, I hope this labour in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:58) is the right will of God for me (Matthew 7:21). I hope that God will say something like, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have endured and persevered in doing what what I have appointed in you to do. Come and share your master's happiness!” This is because the main part of the hope of God is living hope that we would somehow be resurrected at the end of the age (1 Peter 1:3-9).

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:16-23)