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Many of us would be familiar with the feeling of having our hope deferred. However, thanks to Jesus, who is our hope, we have nothing to fear, as the world cannot take away the hope that Jesus gives!
In Genesis 12, God came to a businessman named Abraham (who was known as Abram at that time) and made him a promise to take him to an unknown land full of blessings, make him into a great nation, and bless all the nations of the earth through him. Excited by the promises, Abraham obeyed the Lord and left his own country, taking his wife, a young nephew, servants, and possessions with him.
Several years later, Abraham, who experienced enormous blessings from the Lord, realized that should he die, one of his servants would have to take over the family business since he did not have any children. He went before the Lord and asked God to bless him with a child who would become his heir. God not only promised him a child, but He also promised to make his descendants into a great nation.
Unfortunately, God did not act quickly enough for Abraham’s wife, Sarah, who, due to a lack of patience, suggested that Abraham conceive a child with her maidservant, Hagar. Abraham did, and the result was Ishmael, the planned illegitimate outcome of taking things into their own hands due to a lack of patience.
From the perspective of Abraham and Sarah, there was a seeming delay in the plans and purposes of God, so their hope was deferred. The birth of Ishmael was planned to try to force the promises of God to occur according to their own schedule. However, because Ishmael was born from impatience, both his birth and the consequences of it were illegitimate. When we feel as though our hope is deferred, one of the temptations can be that we try to birth our own version of “Ishmael” to force God’s timing to meet our schedule. How many of us have files in our offices full of such “Ishmaels”?
The problem with birthing “Ishmaels” is that you will have to live with them. You can make the choice, but you cannot choose the consequences. One of my pastors used to say, “Choices are long-lasting and life-changing.” Abraham and Sarah had to live with the consequences of Ishmael, which created family issues over inheritance, unnecessary favoritisms, and conflicts, issues that continue today in the Middle East between Palestine and Israel.
If you are considering fast-tracking your destiny with an alluring new idea that promises to take you to your hopes quickly while avoiding the trials and tests that you are currently facing, stop and think about the long-term devastating effect of birthing an “Ishmael”. It will not just affect you, but it will also affect those who will come after you for generations to come.
How do you avoid birthing an Ishmael?
- Be willing to endure the suffering or humiliation of delayed hopes
- Rejoice in your challenges, counting them all joy, knowing that this is the will of God concerning you
- Embrace the lessons that God wants to teach you during the times of waiting
- Do not allow others to lure you into new ideas, no matter how promising they may seem
- Count the cost
- Trust that God is faithful
- Keep your eyes on the prize, Jesus; he is your hope and will never defer His promises
Back in December 2009, my family and I relocated to Portland and joined a local church that demonstrated its commitment to marketplace ministry by holding its Sunday Services in a hotel that it owned and operated. The pastor/founder of the ministry, a great friend, and author of a book called Mission-Based Entrepreneur Revolution had the vision to take this model across the nation and the world.
Five months after we arrived in Oregon, a fire destroyed the sanctuary portion of the hotel where our church met for worship services. Within that same week, due to circumstances beyond the church’s control, the hotel facility was sold to a non-Christian company. These circumstances caused many within the congregation to become perplexed. What had happened to the dream and the vision?
What made me proud to be a part of that congregation and the leadership team of that church was the heart of the people. My friend and Senior Pastor of the church boldly declared that we would not quit nor stop, nor would we birth an “Ishmael” during this difficult period. Instead, we would patiently seek the Lord, regroup, and now more than ever, commit ourselves to building a model of a sustainable strategy that would fund social justice and educate others around the nation and the world on how to do the same.
It is easy to quit when our hope is deferred. It is even easier to birth an “Ishmael” because “Ishmaels” make us feel as though we have accomplished something, even if it is an illegitimate outcome. “Ishmaels” seem to temporarily remove humiliation and disappointment, but they always bring long-term devastating effects that are irreversible.
Are you currently flirting with a project or idea that you know is not in line with God’s original vision for you? Seek the Lord for the grace to say, “No Lord, not my will, but Your will be done.”
My prayer for you today is that God will give you the wisdom to discern between His plans and your plans and the courage to patiently pursue His plans no matter what.
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