Real Man’s Toolbox

REAL Man’s Toolbox Like it says on the radio, ‘I choose hope’

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

By Leo Hellyer

For the most part, this column is designed to give men tools to put into their Real Man’s Toolbox. These tools are the ones that we grab when we are trying to live life in a way that glorifies God. All of us have been on a journey for quite some time – a journey that at the end of 2019, we could not have even come close to imagining. Men, we are blessed to live where we do. Living in the Great State of Idaho, we have so much true godly guidance, and so many tools to put in our Toolbox.

One area that shines brightly in our communities is the abundance of Christ-centered broadcast media outlets available to us. While I am going to concentrate on one of those outlets, I definitely do not want to take anything away from the others.

As we search for the best way to let God’s light shine through us, we have many choices to make. There are many things that we face on a daily basis as men and particularly as Christian men. As we do this, we have many choices to make as we try

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to determine what courses of action we are going to take. KTSY Radio has a three-word statement that is one for all of us to follow as we live our lives in the world as it currently is – I CHOOSE HOPE.

I CHOOSE HOPE, three simple words, but three very powerful words when applied to living life in a world that at times can be very dysfunctional, confusing, negative, and even depressing. You see, when we choose hope, our mind and energies are focused on Leo Hellyerwhat can be, and should be, instead of what we might be currently facing.

In Jeremiah 29-11 we read, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Hope is defined as ‘a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, a feeling of trust’. It is very different having hope based on man, as good as that can be, compared to hope based on God’s promises.

In Romans 5:5 Paul tells us that, “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which was given to us.” In Romans 15:4 Paul also points out, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope.”

Many people around us live their lives without hope. As we listen to the news, and many national political leaders, all we hear is hopelessness. The primary reason for this is that so many are looking in the wrong place for the answers to the challenges we all face.

Christian broadcast media outlets are great sources of God-inspired guidance in life situations. It is wonderful to see how God uses these outlets to speak with us in times of need. I know of friends of mine, and have experienced it myself, where the perfect song, speaker, or station staff person says the most moving and heart-filling thing for the moment, at exactly the time we need to hear it. God speaks to us in so many ways, all we have to do is to listen and be willing to follow as He leads us. As we look at today and contemplate tomorrow, let’s CHOOSE HOPE, the hope that God gives us in His Word. KTSY 89.5, PROJECT 88.7, and KBXL 94.1 are just three of the inspirational, God-blessed, radio stations in the Boise area. Wherever you are at, take the time to search the airwaves for the great Christian radio stations in your area. As you organize your Real Man’s Toolbox, make sure to put Christian radio in a very prominent spot where you can always find it. This is definitely a tool you want to be able to grab easily. There are many messages flying around our heads, from a number of different sources. Quite a few of them are less desirable than others, if not actually evil. Just as we need to have our hearts and minds attuned to God and His truth, we also need to have our radios and computers tuned in to the truth of God.

Every day of our lives we are faced with decisions. Some of the decisions we have to make have more effect on our lives than others. As we look at all of the facets of our lives, our perspective has a lot to do with the outcome of every challenge we face. We can make a choice how we face life’s challenges, be it health issues, financial issues, employment, politics, personalities, etc. I don’t know about you, but I choose HOPE: Heavenly Options for People Everywhere. n Leo Hellyer is a non-staff pastor with a local church and has been married to his wife Norma for more than 45 years. The couple volunteered with the Boise FamilyLife Ministry Team for 20 years. Leo has also been serving with Boise Rescue Mission Ministries for 20 years and is currently serving at the River of Life Rescue Mission. He is president and chief firearms instructor with Helping Hands Firearms Training LLC. If you have questions about Real Man’s Toolbox, or need other assistance, Leo may be reached at silverplate426@msn.com or 208-340-5544.

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