Have you heard of Flagstaff, Maine? It's a ghost town now, submerged under the waters of Flagstaff Lake. A dam was built along the Dead River back in 1950, enlarging Flagstaff Lake and burying the town of Flagstaff. In his book "Unfinished Business," Halford Luccock tells this story:
"Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present." In his famous song "Imagine," John Lennon wrote, "Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people. Living for today ...." Lennon somehow had the idea that if people would stop thinking about the future, forget about eternity, they would enjoy the present more. He thought they would live better lives. He was wrong. "Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present."One night at dinner a man, who had spent many summers in Maine, fascinated his companions by telling of his experiences in a little town named Flagstaff. The town was to be flooded, as part of a large lake for which a dam was being built. In the months before it was to be flooded, all improvements and repairs in the whole town were stopped. What was the use of painting a house if it were to be covered with water in six months? Why repair anything when the whole village was to be wiped out? So, week by week, the whole town became more and more bedraggled, more gone to seed, more woebegone. Then he added by way of explanation: "Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present."
Christians can live the present more fully because we have faith in the future. We know the God that holds the future, and we can face tomorrow without fear. The reality of eternity, the reality of God, the faith we have in the future doesn't diminish our ability to live well in the present. The hope we have fuels our lives now, letting us experience life more completely than if we lacked such hope. "Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present."
If you find yourself without power in your present life, maybe you're running short on hope for the future. I know the God that gives that hope, and I'd love to help you reconnect with him. Write to me at tim@hopeforlife.org or leave a comment on our blog on www.hopeforlife.org.
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