In looking at the rest of Pastor Rusty’s message, I’m struck by the fact that true hope can only come from God! As he told the church, “I must earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to heal me.” Power to heal you from what? Maybe He needs to help you with character flaws. You know you’re not perfect, no matter how hard you might try sometimes. Maybe you need emotional healing. Matthew 5:4 (NIV) says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” If you want to experience His comfort, you have to be open to Him. Don’t try to play God (the way Adam and Eve did) and find hope outside of God. There’s no hope to be found without Him.
Pastor Rusty talked about four ways that people try to “play God.” They 1) deny, 2) excuse, 3) accuse, and 4) distance. DENY—When you’re flat on your back, you’re in denial about where you’re at. You’re playing God and telling yourself, “I get to define reality.” EXCUSE—You make excuses when you’ve fallen into sin, placing yourself as judge over your life. ACCUSE—When confronted by someone, you flip things around and accuse him, bringing up his past. You excuse yourself by accusing another person. DISTANCE—You tell yourself, “I fell. I can’t deal with the fact that I fell.” You then hide. What does it look like for you when you hide? For some people, hiding turns into binge watching a show, an attempt to escape reality. Other people literally run away from something. For example, if you were to make a mistake at work, you might quit and leave, even though the mistake was yours.
Don’t allow any of these four ways of “playing God” have authority in your life. If you do, you’ll lose hope. Yes, there are things YOU can do to keep your life in order, such as talking authority over your thoughts and words, choosing joy, and daily making the decision to walk in godliness. But that doesn’t mean that you can do those things without God’s help.
How did you do with your assignment from a couple of days ago? Were you able to identify where you are in life vs. where you should be? Today, I want you to focus on next steps and decide what you can do TODAY to live a life of hope! Never forget Psalm 62:5.“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him” (NIV). If you’re looking for a solution to feelings of hopelessness, the answer is found in the Word of God—study His word, apply it to your life, and allow Him to be your ruling authority.