Worst-Case Scenario

What is your worst-case scenario? Is there one thing that you most fear happening to you? I grew up in a family in which severe dementia was manifested on both my mother’s and my father’s side of the family tree. We saw and experienced the ugliness of severe dementia in our maternal grandmother and our father. There were no tests to determine whether a person had Alzheimer’s Disease in those days, but we had no doubts that we had personally witnessed that terrible affliction that robbed loved ones of their personal identity and created hardship for their families. My four sisters and I lost our father to Alzheimer’s long before his actual death. We attribute our mother’s death by a stroke to the stress she experienced as our father’s caregiver. 

I know there are countless other diseases or events that may surpass the terrible toll of Alzheimer’s Disease on a family. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, an ugly divorce, drug addiction, victims of violent crimes, or many other life-altering and life-diminishing experiences. One of my sisters and her husband lost their youngest son to cancer. So, I am not saying Alzheimer’s is the worst thing that can happen to a person, but for me, the trauma of Alzheimer’s was and remains my greatest fear. I hate it. And since there is no cure for Alzheimer’s and no inoculation that can prevent it, Alzheimer’s has remained my greatest fear and my worst-case scenario. (Although there are now encouraging options for treating the disease or at least slowing its progression.) 

Recently, Justin, one of my sons-in-law shared his concern that I was showing symptoms that were associated with dementia. I consulted my primary care physician, and he recommended that I get cognitive testing and referred me to a neurologist. A lengthy process of testing began that has yet to provide a diagnosis. My neurologist has not been very encouraging thus far. I expect that his diagnosis will be mild dementia as the first stage of Alzheimer’s Disease. The thing I most feared, my worst-case scenario, looms before me. I am still processing it.

What’s Next?

Now my view of God and the world is being tested. I know life is not about me, but what is the appropriate and best response to a terrible disease? What does a disciple of Jesus do to remain faithful to our Lord when facing darkness and uncertainty? Apprehension is normal, but what honors the Lord? What does an apprentice of Jesus do in times like this? I believe “hope” is the correct answer to all these questions. Hope, when anchored in Jesus, honors the Lord and is the way forward. Everybody is or will be tested in some way and at some time, and responding with hope in Jesus is both positive and powerful. People live in fear of things like climate change, war with nuclear-armed enemies, school shootings, horrible diseases, pollution, cyber-terrorism, and financial ruin. Nihilism and despair are increasingly common. Many people, especially the younger generations, live with a pervasive sense of catastrophe fatigue.

I was shocked this morning when I read the manuscript of a podcast by Joseph Holmes (a culture critic and podcast host called The Overthinkers in NYC, 11/21/24). He claimed that in many recent movies a smile was the primary feature of the movies’ villains and that many in Gen Z distrust a smile. For too many people, their view of the world is so bleak that a smile seems unnatural and arouses suspicion. It’s as if the world is such an awful place that anyone who is not evil should be depressed. Depression is considered normative. “A person who smiles has to either like the evil…or be disconnected from reality….” Maybe (tongue in cheek), the new normal discussed in 11 C is a frown and an utterly hopeless view of the future. Yet whether Holmes interpretation of trends is accurate or not, when God is removed from how people view reality, the world can easily become a very dark place. 

This dark view is the opposite of the Bible’s understanding of genuine hope. Hope transcends the darkness of our struggles and suffering. Hope lifts us above the present turmoil and fear into God’s presence and gives us a glimpse of something better, something beautiful and precious: life as God intended. It is not a remedy for our present problems and brokenness, but it does strengthen and encourage us to endure suffering, pain, and betrayal. Hope is like an open window from which we can see eternity. The darkness dissipates as we fix our attention on the Son.

Like Stephen while he was being stoned to death, he “gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus…” (Acts 7:55). My nephew, Peter Hill, also saw Jesus moments before his death. These examples of hope were of people who were about to die. But hope is not confined to those who are on death’s doorstep. Hope is a way of seeing beyond one’s suffering and troubles. In their mind’s eye, they see Jesus and/or the glory of heaven.

During my rough patches in life, I have intentionally imagined myself kneeling before the risen and glorious Lord Jesus and hearing him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful…. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matt 25:23, NIV). Thinking about that overwhelms me with gratitude and joy because I want to faithfully serve and please Jesus more than anything else in life. If Alzheimer’s is my greatest fear, to hear Jesus address me as his “good and faithful servant” is my highest goal. Rehearsing that scene and hearing those words spoken by Jesus is an expression of the hope that fuels me. 

God Promised

Hope is not denial of struggles. Hope doesn’t necessarily change the circumstance or solve your problem. Nor is hope simply wishful or positive thinking. Hope is difficult to define. I consulted several biblical and theological resources, and each used a slightly different definition. A couple of sources described hope as “persevering and expectant faith.” This is helpful as far as it goes because hope is closely related to faith. The first verse in Hebrews, chapter eleven. states, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hope is an expression of faith, but we must also connect it with both the who or what the faith relies upon and what is expected.

Here’s my own working definition of hope. Hope is persevering faith that confidently expects God to keep a promise he has made but has not yet fulfilled. Hope is about something in the future that hasn’t happened yet, but that God has promised to do. This type of faith rests on who God is, his unchanging nature and faithfulness in the past, not on your personal wishes or desires. We don’t beg God to do what he has already promised to do. To do so would signal that we don’t trust him. An appreciation of God’s covenants can be helpful as we think about his promises. As we saw in Challenge 8, Part A, God uses covenantal terms to describe his relationship with his people. A covenant is a binding agreement between two parties that is based on promises made by both parties. Promises or vows are sacred and binding; they can’t be revised or revoked as illustrated by the biblical understanding of marriage. And the foundation for the promises is God’s unchanging character. God is the source of truth, and it is impossible for God to change his mind about anything he has promised. Some of his promises are unconditional and others are conditional. Human beings may not keep their promises and tell lies, but God will not and cannot break a promise or tell a lie because that is counter to his nature.

When someone fully appreciates God’s nature and his promises, the natural response is to expect God to keep his word and promises. Hope is built on the unchanging, rock-solid conviction that God cannot lie; he must keep every promise, because that’s who he is. 

¹⁸ So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.  [Emphasis mine]
Hebrews 6:18

True hope also rests on the conviction that God is sovereign (in charge of history) and omnipotent (all powerful.) Nothing can prevent God from doing whatever he has promised to do. He spoke the world into existence. Whatever he says will happen, must happen. If God makes a promise, he will keep it because it is his nature to do so and he has both the power and authority to do whatever keeping his promise requires, and he won’t forget. God is not senile. The only thing he forgets is any sin that has been forgiven. This means hope is not wishful thinking, a denial of reality, or even a positive attitude. Hope, consequently, focuses on God as the fulfillment of all our needs. Hope, in a sense, sustains us at all times, not just in crises.

⁷ And so, LORD, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
Psalm 39:7 

There is no hope without faith. An expectation that is not anchored in God’s nature and promises is not biblical hope. I wish to avoid getting Alzheimer’s Disease, and I’ve asked God to prevent that from happening. Yet it is not yet clear whether God will grant my request. But I hope, even if I am diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, God will heal me. In fact, I know he will because God has promised he would. But I don’t know when it will happen. I wait expectantly with confident hope. Ultimately, I am waiting for Jesus to return and for the Kingdom to be consummated.

¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. ⁷ All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
Revelation 21:1-7

This passage describes the ultimate destination of the Jesus Way. I will get there, but Alzheimer’s will not accompany me. In the meantime, I live in anticipation of being welcomed to my ultimate destination. I continually live in hope of God fulfilling every promise he has made. This is not wishful thinking or an overactive imagination, but the fulfillment of hope. 

Until then, all disciples will live in hope even as we suffer pain and disappointments. And living in hope looks like this:

⁸ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

¹⁴ We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. ¹⁵ All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

¹ For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. ² We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. ³ For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. ⁴ While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. ⁵ God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 14-18; 5:1-9

You may have noticed that “hope” is not directly mentioned in this entire excerpt, but I believe it describes living in hope. Verse 5:7 has played an important role in my life. I memorized it many years ago from a more literal translation which says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (NASB, NRSV). Living with hope is seeing beyond horizons of this present world. Hope is like living with one foot in the “here and now” and the other foot in the “there and then.” Yes, hope is a persevering expectation that confidently believes God will keep his promises regardless of our current troubles and afflictions. Hope lifts us out of the darkness and into the light of love and truth. The world desperately needs the hope that only disciples understand and embrace. Our job is to live freely and joyfully in hope and invite others to do the same.

Conclusion

Hope is vitally important in the OT and the NT because it requires an exalted view of God and deep faith in him. Seeing God in this way when combined with faith produces hope in us. We don’t work up hope like we whip cream to make it frothy on special occasions. Hope is not reserved for times of crisis. No, we focus on Jesus every day of our lives, the clearest and most profound revelation of God. As we grow in our appreciation of our God, our hope becomes part of our faith foundation. Then when the storms come, we are ready and can stand firm. Hope then becomes a relational term, a living affirmation of trust in God. God himself is the source and the fulfillment of our hope. 

Hope equips us to face the future expectantly. Always remember God’s promises, underline or highlight them in your Bible. Memorize those that are most important to you. You may want to start with this promise God made through Jeremiah.

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³ If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
Jeremiah 29:11-13

THINKING IT THROUGH

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

THE TRUTH: Jesus responded to opposition, rejection, and hatred with truth, courage, grace, and love. 

THE CHALLENGE: Disciples seek to respond to opposition, rejection, and hatred with truth, courage, grace, and love.  

The Scriptures, questions, and notes are for group discussion and personal reflection. Our goal in Tier II is character transformation which requires sustained effort and growing faith. Thinking through the questions can help you understand this challenge at a deeper level. We encourage you to focus on those questions that you find most interesting or helpful. This is not a test, but a tool to help you respond to the challenges.

Related Scriptures

Psalm 62:5 ⁵ Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.

Psalm 119:49-50 ⁴⁹ Remember your promise to me;
it is my only hope.
⁵⁰ Your promise revives me;
it comforts me in all my troubles.

Psalm 130:7 ⁷ O Israel, hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows.

Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3
⁴ The LORD will mediate between nations
and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
nor train for war anymore.

Isaiah 65:17 ¹⁷ “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.

Zephaniah 3:17 ¹⁷ For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears. 
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Acts 24:14-15 ¹⁴ “But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. ¹⁵ I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Romans 5:3-5 ³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 12:12 ¹² Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

1 Corinthians 13:13 ¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Ephesians 1:18 ¹⁸ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

Colossians 1:4-5 ⁴ For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, ⁵ which come, from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. 

1 Thessalonians 1:3 ³ As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ¹³ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

Titus 2:12-13 ¹² We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, ¹³ while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

Hebrews 3:6 ⁶ But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.

Hebrews 6:18-19 ¹⁸ So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. ¹⁹ This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

Hebrews 10:23 ²³ Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

2 Peter 3:8-9 ⁸ But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. ⁹ The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Questions

You are encouraged to use these questions for group discussion or personal reflection. Respond to the questions that are most relevant or interesting to you (I urge you to write your responses in a journal or notebook).

1. The “What’s Next?” section contains this statement: “Everybody is or will be tested in some way and at some time, and responding with hope in Jesus is both positive and powerful.” How is hope powerful?

2. What is your worst-case scenario or greatest fear? 

3. Describe a time that hope helped you through a difficult time and how it helped you.

4. Was there any information about biblical hope that was new to you, or you had not thought about before? If  you answered yes, please share the details.

5. Have you ever met a person who could be described as hopeless? Describe their situation if you can without revealing that person’s identity.

6. How about yourself? Have you ever been on the borderline of feeling hopeless? If the answer is yes, describe as much about that time as you feel comfortable sharing.

7. On a scale 1 (low) to 10 (high), what number would most accurately rate your current level of hope? 

8. My definition of Christian hope is, Hope is persevering faith that confidently expects God to keep a promise he has made but has not yet fulfilled. Is there anything you would change or add to this definition to improve it and make it more accurate?

9. What is the hardest part of this definition for you? Include one or more words from this definition in your answer and tell why you chose those words.

10. The narrative of Challenge 11 D placed great emphasis on God’s character being the foundation for our hope. Did that help you understand hope or confuse you? Why?

11. I commented that our culture is becoming less hopeful. In your experience, do you think this perspective is accurate? Is there less hope now than before 2000?

12. Explain what this sentence means for disciples: Hope is like living with one foot in the “here and now” and the other foot in the “there and then.” 

Completing the Challenge

1. UNDERSTAND.

Prayerfully process (think, read, discuss, question, write) until you understand the most important truth Jesus is teaching you in Challenge 11. 

Reread “THE TRUTH” and “THE CHALLENGE” statements that are printed below the “THINKING IT THROUGH” section header. It may also be helpful to read the related scriptures, and what you have already written in your journal when reading and processing parts A through C of this challenge. As always, you may consult a mentor, other disciples or a study partner, or use other resources. But do not move on to #2 (BELIEVE) until you have articulated the chief truth revealed to you in this challenge by completing this sentence, 

“The chief truth revealed in this challenge is ….” ”

2. BELIEVE.

Embracing the truth requires you to “change your mind” by ceasing to believe one thing (a lie) in order to believe the truth. To follow Jesus means you must continually repent (literally: “change your mind”—your mental map of reality) to personally embrace the truth he embodied and taught. The goal is to internalize the truth in your heart until it becomes like your DNA—what makes you, you.

Write the thing you no longer believe (the lie) by completing this sentence,
“I no longer believe ...”

Rewrite the new truth you now believe (from “1. UNDERSTAND.” above) by completing this sentence, 
“I now believe ...”

3. DO.

Jesus expects the truth you now believe to change the way you live. What you believe determines what you do and how you live. Commit to do something differently (be specific) because of your new and/or deepening faith. Write it by finishing this sentence,
“I believe Jesus is leading me to ...”  

Then pray, asking the Lord to help you do whatever you have determined he is asking you to do.

4. SHARE.

Finally, tell a mentor or study partner the specifics of how you have worked this challenge (the sentences you have written) and ask for their feedback. 

It is best to write your statements at the end of each challenge in your journal/notebook. If you get stuck on this last exercise, skip it for the time being, and complete it at a later date. As you make progress on the Jesus Way, you may want to modify and improve these concluding statements. Feel free to do so at any time. Whenever you receive new insights, it may change what you have previously written. Your journal/notebook is intended to document your growing faith; it will become a useful tool to help you, and also to mentor others.

Copyright © 2024 Don Waite

All rights reserved.

Previous

Next