Written by: Dustin Kershner
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”. - Colossians 1:16
How do you feel right now? Anxious, excited, scared, frustrated, joyful, maybe a bit of everything? Regardless of the results this week, I think something we all need right now is hope - depending on the results, though, it might be easier for you to feel hopeful. The Apostle Paul writes this verse in Colossians as part of a description of Jesus. Explaining how much more powerful and amazing He is than anything or anyone else. I’ve read the passage before, but this verse caught my attention today. When talking about rulers and authorities (spiritual and physical) Paul says, they were “created through Him and for Him.”
When it comes to politics, Jesus is very involved. Not because He makes one person win and one person lose, but because He made the people who will win and lose. If you’re feeling a lot of emotion this week about the election, it may point to your hope being in a person and their ability to fix (or mess up) our nation. Paul is pointing even higher here, to the one who made the person your hope is in. The one who made you and everyone else in our nation. The one who is going to fix everything someday. He’s here, and He’s working, no matter who wins or loses, Jesus is working in our country, in our city, in our homes. What if we put our hope in Him this week?
A Prayer for Hope: Jesus, we need you. Show us how to shift our hope off of politicians, pastors, and leaders and onto you. Give us a glimpse of the work you’re doing in our country right now and show us how we can be a part of it. Give us hope to see beyond things that scare us and love people who disagree with us. Beyond that, let us be people who can provide hope to others. Amen.