No Reason For Shame With Hope in God!

"And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:5 NIV)

Though there are many who attempt to belittle those who not only believe God, but also live to please God, we who know God, understand,  and we are not ashamed of our hope in Him.

Why hope in God when it appears that all is lost--when spouses kill each other, when man overrides God's intent for marriage and family, when politicians are corrupt, and violence erupts all around us and the weather is taking its toll on people everywhere? Why hope in God?

I have had some to question my faith by asking why would I believe in a God who allows such terrible things to happen, especially to children. The question they should have asked is, why do "people choose" to do such dastardly things to children and to others?

Terminal illnesses are not caused by God, they are a result of man's greed and inability to make good choices. Most illnesses are the result of what we ingest--voluntarily--or involuntarily and what we breathe in the air. Every time someone comes up with a new idea that is primarily seen as a convenience, we learn--sometimes years later--just how much that convenience costs us in human lives. From the preservatives in foods to sustain shelf-life to the use of cell phones and other oil by-products. It is not God who does these things. We choose to participate because it is convenient to do so and for the most part, most of us have little opportunity to change how we eat or have access to alternative products.

Personal hygiene products, medications, and clothing using recycled materials as well as air pollutants and water pollutants--big industry--lost lives--all because of greed and convenience. This is what happens when we have hope in man and what they do.

Hope in God--sustains the Believer--in spite of all the stuff going on around us--even to the hope of healing and finding means to overcome all the ills we have brought upon ourselves. Hope in God keeps the Believer focused on the things of God and in constant communication with Him through the auspices of prayer. Hope in God--does not make us ashamed of our belief in Him; it strengthens us so we might continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For we know that no matter what we suffer here on earth, we have a great reward waiting for us for all eternity.

No--our hope in God is not something we should be ever be ashamed about and as long as we have men who are greedy and proceed with the production of "things" without seeking God's Wisdom before they make them, we will pray and expect God to keep us safe from harm of all the "conveniences" we use that could lead to an early earthly death.

While we enjoy the products of man's invention, let us not have so much hope in them that we forget to have real hope in God, who has yet to abandon us to our own self-destruction. Hope in God--gives us reason to keep moving forward--in spite of all the attempts by man to override God's intent for man--in so much of what they do.

Hope in God--trumps hope in man--every time--and the real shame is on man who refuses to live according to God's plan for mankind.