Hope in a World of FOMO

Romans 13:11-14

11 As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is near. So let’s get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession.14 Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t plan to indulge your selfish desires.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

I vividly remember the first

time I heard this passage in worship. I was in college, and the night before

was a night I am not proud of. It was the beginning of a semester, and I wanted

this semester to be the most fun and exciting and memorable. That night started

with going out with friends. But as I wanted to make it as exciting and memorable

as possible, it soon turned into me going from party to party, sometimes with

friends, sometimes on my own. I drank way too much, became way too loud, and my

actions quickly became more and more rude and selfish to all who were around

me, friends and strangers. By the time I made my way back to my dorm and

sobered up a little bit, I was left deeply regretting how I had treated people

and wondering who I had become that night. Because I realized as memorable and

exciting as that night was, this is not who I want to be.

The next morning I somehow

made my way to worship. There, I heard this text from Romans 13 read and

preached. Verses 13 and 14 especially seemed like far too much of a coincidence

to me:

Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the

day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene

behavior, not in fighting and obsession.14 Instead,

dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t plan to indulge your

selfish desires.

It was one of those mornings

where I could swear that God was using the pastor to speak directly to me. And

I needed to hear that message that morning. It was a good wake-up call, and a

correction to my selfish actions. So I’ve remembered those verses 13 and 14

ever since.

But what I didn’t pay

attention to that morning were the verses that came before them. What I didn’t

hear is the first part of the passage. I heard the correction. I heard what not

to do. But I missed the great message of hope that Paul starts this passage

with:

11 As you do all

this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up

from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had

faith. 

Our

salvation is near. While this passage includes words of correction, its main

emphasis isn’t guilt or shame or judgment, even on people who have acted like I

have. Paul isn’t saying, “I’m better than you.”

Instead,

it is a message of hope. God came to earth and lived as one of us. God healed

us and taught us and showed us a better way. God died on a cross and rose from

the grave, and lives forever. And God is inviting us to this much better party,

to this kingdom, to this life without end. We are a people of hope, Paul is

telling us, who are offered everlasting life. This is great news. This is

joyful news. This is news to sing about and dance for and share with others.

But this should also greatly change the way we live here and now.

In

the ancient world, there was a common phrase: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for

tomorrow we die.” Paul quotes it in 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus quotes it in a

parable about a rich man hoarding treasure for himself. It is a philosophy that

each person needs to cram in as much pleasure and toys and consumption as

possible each day, because we only have today. How we develop as people, as

communities, as relationships, none of that matters as much as getting and

consuming and experienci