No Hope...

I sat with three young men on Friday. I asked each one of them to give me some goals that they would like to achieve this year. One goal in four areas of life. Financially, physically, spiritually & academically.

Out of the three guys - not one of them could offer a goal. So I began to feed them with some ideas on goals that they could attempt to achieve. Still, they refused to dream of what could be.

Where has the dream in young men to do something with their life gone?

I finished the day reflecting on these three boys. Each one healthy, each one capable, each one a man of the future, but with no hope.

Proverbs 13:12 reads: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

In the old testament a woman by the name of Rachel wanted to have babies but could not. She became jealous of her sister just as Jacob (her husband) was of his older brother. This jealousy made their hearts sick.

These young men can look at what others are doing & be jealous which makes their hearts very sick. And yet, they could aim for something & find fulfillment by achieving what God has enabled them to do.

Isaiah 40:31 reads: but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Those who hope in the Lord are described as, "trusting in or looking expectantly to." You see, I want nothing more than these young men to hope in the Lord. Not in money. Not in good grades. Not in physical abilities or musical abilities. There hope must be in the Lord! And when they are trusting in the Lord, He will renew (exchange) their weaknesses which will give way to God's strength.

The Hebrew word used in this passage for this verb is used of changes of clothes which can symbolize strength and beauty. Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ instructs us to clothe ourselves with Christ (Ephesians 4:24).

Well dads, there are alot of young men who need a male role model. They need to be encouraged to hope. How do you help a young man hope?

Here's four ways...

Holler praise

Offer to model obedience.

Patience will be required

Encourage often

Perhaps you can practice this with your own children, I know I need to.

You know - we can often be tempted to think we need to do more. But the Gospel is our HOPE... have a look at Romans 4:18-25 & rejoice in the finished work of the cross...