The Idolatry of Hope

Originally posted January 20, 2021 – There was a lot going on around the inauguration of the new president and turbulent times that led up to the moment. While the current events did lead me in part to write this particular post, the idea of “hope” as an idol is relevant in any season of life if we hold on to hope instead of the Author of hope. Are you addicted to hope? Do you hold on to hope and hold out for change? Maybe this will give you some perspective…

No, I’m not boycotting the inauguration.

I’m not participating in #NotMyPresident

I’m not expecting a Deep State sting operation

I’m not a minion of conspiracy theorists any more than I’m a fan of this incoming administration.

I’m not happy with the state of this union, the policies of Biden or Harris…

But.

I’m also not happy with whiny, pearl-clutching conservatives who moan and whine like the liberals whose tears they’ve been mockingly drinking out of their ironic coffee mugs for the past four years.

I’m disappointed in those who continue to cling to words from screenshots of texts and news alerts that have been virally spreading from unknown sources across the internet and even worse those who followed false prophets promising special revelation from God.

I’m concerned that so many have entertained conspiracies in hopes of all this getting turned around in some special operation.

Christians, hear me, please…

I’ve had my ears tickled too…I also, in my frustration and even anger at the outcome of this election, wanted so badly to believe that there were bigger scenes unfolding and that somehow it was going to be revealed what so many still do believe – that there was massive fraud in this election. I read the updates floating around. I listened to the video reports being shared. I wondered and maybe even hoped a bit.

Hope is either hard to have or it’s hard to shake. We need it. We long for it. We feel it out there…but hope becomes an idol when we treat it as our focus. When the intangible idea out there of something that might happen becomes more important than the reality of what is.

Hope becomes an addiction. We need another hit…so much so we abandon reason. We let go of self-control. We sacrifice discernment at the altar of hope.

It’s like we kept putting coins in the slot machine, pulling down the arm, and folding our hands in prayer as we hoped for the big win.

Plink. Pull. Pray…no win. no massive turn-around. no worries…I’ll put another coin in, read another report, forward another text or email, get updated on more secret information and listen to another prophetic message.

Christians, please hear me…Our hope is in Christ not just because of what He’s promised to do, but because that hope is grounded in what has already happened.

We. Are. Not. Citizens. Of. This. World.

There is no hope for this country. There is no hope for this world. There is nothing here that we should hold out for.

Listen, this is not fatalism. This is not throwing my arms up. This is not despair.
This is me retraining my eyes on the true – the only true object of my hope – Jesus Christ.

This is me taking every thought captive and not letting my ears be tickled with conspiracies.

This is me repenting of my addiction to “what if” thoughts, my worship of hope, the idolatry of patriotism, and my smug disdain for leftists and their ideologies.

This is us, I pray, coming together and uniting not under the flag of the United States of America, but under the banner of Jesus Christ.

This is time for sound thinking which is exactly what God has given us a spirit of…not of muddled thoughts and wild ideas but of a sound, focus, self-disciplined mind.

This is time for power which is also what we have in the Spirit of God…not of weakness and timidity, we are conquerors and victorious.

This is time for love which is what we have been born into as new creations conformed to the image of Christ.

There is no fear in love. When our hope in wild ideas and the latest “prophecies” to be true leave us jittery and spinning – that’s not hope – that’s worshiping hope. When the object of our longing is hope in we have missed the truth.

Christians,

We do not grieve as those with no hope…neither do we vote or work or love or live like those with no hope…we do have hope! We just do not make hope the focus. Put aside the conspiracies. Discern false prophecies.

Repent and return to the steadfast, immoveable life always abounding in the work of the Lord. We fix our eyes on Jesus – the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Pray. Pray for our president. Pray for every leader. Pray for the church to honor sound teaching and to repent of any idolatry. Pray for your own walk with Christ that you would be led by the Spirit, not by false prophets and conspiracies.

We wait in hope for the Lord – HE is our help and our deliverer.

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