Hope or Let Go?

 Today I read a story about a young doctor, still in his internship, who had to confront this question in a very traumatic way.  He was part of a team that worked on a man who had been burned over 90% of his body in an explosion.  The man was going to die.  His wife and child were waiting outside.  The man is in considerable pain, obviously.  He is being given oxygen from a mask over his  mouth and nose.  He is barely audible.  The lead doctor says it's time to intubate.  But the young doctor knows if the man is sedated in order for them to do this that he'll never get to tell his wife and child that he loves them and they won't get to say goodbye to him.  The lead doctor decides intubation is what they're doing and then he goes out and talks to the family after it's done.  He brings the wife in and she sits beside her husband, holds his hand, and hopes for the best.  The young doctor struggles with this decision, even though it wasn't his to make.  Which is better, to give hope or to let go?

There are a lot of things in life that give us this option.  We can have hope that we'll get that job we want or we can let go of the worry and just see what happens.  We can have hope that the cute guy across the room will ask us to dance or we can let go knowing that there's no way he's ever gonna do that (high school days, remember girls?)  We can have hope that we pass that test, or let go of the fear and just do the best we are capable of.  We can have hope that the car makes it to the gas station before we run out of gas or we can let go of the worry and just coast on in. We can have hope that our children will grow up to be wonderful people who do all the right thing, get the great grades, etc. or we can let go and accept them for whoever they become.

To me there are three 'hope or let go' situations that seem the hardest to me.

#1  There is the hope that a friend or loved one will survive a surgery or beat a terrible disease. Or should we let go of that person and let them go to Jesus in peace because logically we know that there is no hope even though our hearts want to hope and believe in a miracle.

#2  There is the hope that the man or woman we have fallen in love with will return that love in the same way.  That if they will love us as much as we love them then we can have this beautiful, forever relationship with each other.  Or should we let go?  Maybe logically we know that this isn't possible.  Perhaps this is the best, closest relationship we've ever had and we need to let go of this hope so as not to ruin what we already have.

#3  There is the hope that God is watching over us no matter what we do.  The hope that Jesus loves us through thick and thin.  That He will never give up on us.  That He will provide for us.  That we will go to heaven when Jesus returns.  Or do we let go, just assume that all the above is automatically going to happen because Jesus gave his life for us up on that cross and forgave all our sins?  Do we let go and just live our lives anyway we want, right or wrong, and just assume that we are forgiven and yes, we'll go to heaven because of this?  

There is a big flaw in the thinking of #3.  Yes, it is true that God is always watching over us, that Jesus loves us unconditionally and will never give up on us, and that he died on that cross for our sins.  BUT, that's all good and fine until we just ASSUME.  Jesus tells us that we must repent.  We must ask for forgiveness.  We must try to live our lives by the examples Jesus taught us.  NO, we cannot just go out and do whatever we want, live anyway we feel like it, and expect to get into heaven.  Jesus knows that we will make mistakes.  But to out right ignore his teachings is completely idiotic.  If this is the way you choose to live then you are letting Satan rule your life.  Satan is the one telling you it's ok to do whatever you want.  "Go ahead," he says, "do whatever you want, God doesn't care, Jesus already died for you."  And if you fall victim to this vicious lie then you are going to regret it.  

Jesus did die on that cross for you and your sins.  But he didn't do it in vane.  There are expectations.  Expectations that you will follow the instructions given to you in the Bible.  He didn't walk around on this earth preaching and telling his parables for nothing.  He did it to teach us and to help us understand what it means to be a Christian and what is means to go out and make disciples of the world.  

I'm sure Mary Magdalene, his mother Mary, the disciples, and many others hoped that he would save himself from this cruel torture and death.  But that was not the plan the Father had in mind.  He suffered, and suffered greatly for us.  He sacrificed himself for us.  He was not a martyr.  He was and is our guide.  Our guide to the promised land, to join him in heaven with the Father.  

As for the other situations, that's your call.  Discern the situation at hand, and make the best decision you can. And if you ask, Jesus will help you find the right answer.