'To Bless All Mankind' June 26, 2017 Issue

Persistence fueled by hope and conviction

Randal Craft

Adapted from an article published in The Christian Science Monitor, May 8, 2017.

Faced with government corruption today, we may question how we can sustain hope for progress. As we look for answers, many find words of encouragement in the Bible, which speaks of having hope in God when confronting life’s challenges: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God” (Psalms 42:11).

Strong support for this hope can be found in what we learn from the perfect example of Christ Jesus, who understood that the only kingdom and true government is God’s, and that God is the only true power in the universe (see Matthew 6:9–13). He demonstrated through his healing works that corruption, in government or elsewhere, is based on the perception that we live in a deteriorating, material world, and that this view is corrected through an understanding of spiritual reality, which is grounded in God, who is Spirit.

Today, it is possible to follow the example of Jesus and persistently pray and maintain hope in God. This can be done by affirming that God, Spirit, is the only true power governing the universe, including leaders and nations. The Bible also states that God is good (see, for example, Psalms 143:10). So any propensity for leaders to be corrupt or immoral ultimately has no basis in God and, consequently, has no foundation.

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Persistence fueled by hope and conviction

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