During WW2, the Germans struggled to break the spirit of the Jewish people. Even in concentration camps under the most inhumane conditions, their hope remained. Their confidence in their "Why" was so firmly entrenched into their identity. Suffering seemed an inadequate enemy against their hope.
A commander of one of the camps decided that he would assault their "Why" to destroy their hope. His plan? Daily he had the people engage in meaningless labor, break rocks, move them to one side of the camp and once there, move them back. For what seemed like eons, this meaningless, "why stealing" labor wore down the hearts of the Jewish people and eventually caused them such despair that their hope was ravaged.
In our series on hope, we have seen that hope is the currency of the Human soul, deposited into us when God gave us his image, and that hope is a carrier of my courage, strength, joy, and purpose. When Satan attacks, he rarely takes a frontal assault on my hope. He comes for my courage, but make no mistake, an attack on my courage or "Why" in life is a sure-fire indicator that he is coming for my hope.
Last week we were encouraged not to lose our confidence in the goodness of God because when we do, the enemy is coming for our hope. This week, let's consider together that when we lose confidence in or drift from the mission of God - our hope is the next to fall. Without hope, all strength goes away.
God's invitations to us are to be his friend and join him in what he wants to be done in this world. Another way to say this; "We were made by God to be close to him and for God, to serve his plans (Colossians 1:16). Abide in me and bear fruit (John 15).
Satan knows that if our confidence in living in a mission with God is shaken or damaged, our hope is the next to fall. Is it any wonder that Satan would attack our confidence in this life-giving purpose and mission? So how does he attack it?
He replaces the mission with another.
If I wanted you to miss your God-created destination, I would try to get you to aim just a small degree off the mark. Over time, you would miss the mark by a mile but not realize until much later that you were not headed in the right direction. Satan is the master of getting us off by a slight degree, and he does this by replacing God's mission with another. The mission of the church and those who make up the church is to make disciples who also make disciples. Yet, the vast majority of people who follow Jesus do not make disciples. Here is an alignment question; "Am I currently making a disciple with the intended outcome that my disciples also make a disciple?" If yes, AWESOME. If no, you are invited to the Mission of Jesus. Anything less exposes your hope to the enemy.
He tells us we are too small and unworthy to be in a mission with God.
Another way Satan attacks our confidence in God's given mission is to convince us we are not worthy or that we are unable. Let me respond to this. STOP IT! God's work has never been accomplished by the worthy but rather extraordinarily ordinary people! You are God's workmanship CREATED in CHRIST JESUS for GOOD WORKS, which he has PLANNED IN ADVANCE for YOU TO DO! This is a hope-giving truth!
Finally, in a world of influencers and celebrities, Satan has convinced people that only people who have a lot can make a big difference. This is simply untrue. God has a long history of using the weak, multiplying the smallest of gifts, maximizing contributions that come from the broken. I might even say that God is not looking for All-Stars but rather the willing.
When we are confident in God's mission, we see that God is about getting done what he wants to be done, and that is where hope thrives. When Satan attacks your confidence in God's heart and ability to use us in his mission, be careful because he is coming for your hope.