- Out of Phase #1 – Being a Servant
- Out of Phase #2 – Boundaries
- Out of Phase #3 – Responsibilities
- Out of Phase #4 – Rules
- Out of Phase #5 – Emotions
- Out of Phase #6 – Work
- Out of Phase #7 – Christian Quips
- Out of Phase #8 – Reasons & Responsibilities
- Out of Phase #9 – Religion
- Out of Phase #10 – Enough
- Out of Phase #11 – Retreat
- Out of Phase #12 – Healthy Relationships
- Out of Phase #13 – Words
- Out of Phase #14 – Depth and Breadth – Impact
- Out of Phase #15 – Control
- Out of Phase #16 – Tradition
- Out of Phase #17 – Pain
- Out of Phase #18 – Our Story
- Out of Phase #19 – Peace
- Out of Phase #20 – Hopes, Dreams & Desires
- Out of Phase #21 – Good Things Bad Things
- Out of Phase #22 – Keeping our Focus
- Out of Phase #23 – Transactions
- Out of Phase #24 – Formula
- Out of Phase #25 – Community
- Out of Phase #26 – Thoughts
- Out of Phase #27 – Doing
- Out of Phase #28 – Trying
- Out of Phase #29 – More
- Out of Phase #30 – Knowledge
- Out of Phase #31 – Tragedy
- Out of Phase #32 – The Way It Should Be
- Out of Phase #33 – Expectations
- Out of Phase #35 – Worship
- Out of Phase #34 – Brokenness
- Out of Phase #36 – Technology
- Out of Phase #37 – Comparison
- Out of Phase #38 – Rest
- Out of Phase #39 – Love
- Out of Phase #40 – Security
- Out of Phase #41 – Finding Yourself
- Out of Phase #42 – Curiosity
- Out of Phase #43 – Lack
- Out of Phase #44 – Control
- Out of Phase #45 – Answers
- Out of Phase #46 – Idols
- Out of Phase #47 – Happiness
- Out of Phase #48 – Forgetfulness
- Out of Phase #49 – Heart
- Out of Phase #50 – Schedules
- Out of Phase #51 – Hope
- Out of Phase #52 – Anxiousness
- Out of Phase #53 – Guard Your Heart
Steven Spielberg’s movie Schindler’s List is a powerful portrayal of Oskar Schindler’s work to resist the Nazis and save Jewish lives. There are so many emotional scenes in this movie, including a scene in which when Mr. Schindler grabs a water hose and sprays it at a boxcar hauling thirsty Jews to one of the Nazi concentration camps. He is questioned as to why he is doing such a thing as his efforts are providing the prisoners hope in a truly hopeless situation.
Hope truly spurs us on even when our situation seems dire. When our hope is in phase, it is powerful, even beautiful.
As humans, we are predisposed to seek something in which to put our hope. For some, it is another person; for others, it is a political party or organization, substance, or any other form of addictive behavior. Still, there are those who resort to rugged self-reliance, which only grows more resolute and yet more frustrated with every passing failure, simply because hope in any created thing—including self—can never be completely satisfied.
When our dissatisfaction is met with a redoubled effort, our lives will continue to drift further and further out of phase. Though seldom recognized as such, anything apart from God that we look to for complete hope is, in its most basic form, an idol. In and of themselves, most of the things enumerated above – as well as those which were not – are not in and of themselves inherently bad, destructive, or even dissatisfying. However, when they become the ultimate focus of our attention, disappointment is the ultimate outcome.
Blaise Pascal spoke to this when he said,
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ.”
Only when our hope rests solely in God can we fully enjoy life and all its blessings.