Hope-Shaped Creatures

Some may find it difficult to imagine that a church pastor could spend four weeks on one Bible verse, but not those of us who have been attending Vista Community Church this fall. Pastor Mike has been going through a series on the book of Acts. Not really the whole book though. For a month, he camped out on just the first part of Acts 2:42:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching..."


But I'm not complaining. It has been a great series that has, at times, really challenged me to re-evaluate how I am living out my faith. What Pastor Mike pointed out is that the apostles did not teach in the typical way we imagine teaching. Rather than direct instruction, simply telling people what they needed to know and how to behave, they lived out their faith on a daily basis. They made decisions and took actions that depended on what they believed to be true about God, Jesus, and the world. Their followers learned by watching the example the apostles set for them just as the apostles learned from the example Jesus set for them. Not long after the sermon Faith, in which Pastor Mike asked us what our lives said about what we believed, I read this tweet from Tim Keller:

@DailyKeller: Human beings are hope-shaped creatures. How you live today is completely shaped by what you believe about your future


I started asking myself, "What do you believe about your future? What do you believe to be true about God, Jesus and the world? What difference does it make? Can people tell what I believe by watching what I do?" These questions are not just for Christians or "religious" people. We are ALL driven by our beliefs, whatever they may be.

The first two questions are easier for me to answer because I've spent nearly ten years thinking about, studying, learning, and reflecting on just that. I believe that I have a hope for my future. I believe that there is a spiritual realm beyond this physical world and that I will spend eternity in God's presence where there will be no more suffering, no more pain, no more grief. I believe that God is the omnipotent, omnipresent Creator of the world who loves me, who loves you, who loves every person He created. I believe that Jesus is God's Son who came to earth as a human and died as a sacrifice for all, to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind so that those who put their faith in Him can be reconciled to God. I believe that the world was created by God and that one day the world as we know it will come to an end when Jesus returns, and there will be a new heaven and a new earth (BTW - I do NOT believe anyone can predict when this will happen). I believe that God wants us to continue the work of reconciliation, to love others, and to treat His creation with care as long as we are blessed to be here in this world.

So, what difference does this make? How I make decisions, how I try to live my life, how I treat other people are all based on those beliefs. I try to see people as the beautiful creations of God. I try to show them love. I try to follow the examples set for me by Jesus and by the apostles. Can people tell that I believe these things based on how I live my life? That I do not know. I hope so though. I certainly hope so.