Renewed Hope
From failing hope, to lack of hope, to total depression - - WHY is there a struggle with hope?
We struggle with hope because we were told that it will not happen or cannot happen. People will steal your hopes if you let them. Then every negative thing that happens in our lives ‘chips’ away at our hopes. To often we only focus on the negative leading us to the “one step forward, two steps back” syndrome. Then we say, “Why bother? There’s no hope for me”. We never considered that we are backing up to make room for a running start to be able to hurdle over those obstacles in our futures. If we stop taking that one step forward, we can never take those two steps back, meaning that we will have to struggle with trying to climb over our obstacles (killing hope) instead of hurdling over those obstacles to obtain the prize.
Without hope there is no faith. Hope activates our faith. Faith consist of the things we hope for. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for. . . (Hebrews 11:1 KJV) That faith leads us through a process to obtain the hope. Romans 5:1-5 lets us know that we have to go through problems (tribulations) as the first step towards hope. By recognizing this as the beginning of the Hope Process it causes us to rejoice in our problems. Our problems and trials are not the end, but just the beginning. These sufferings teaches us patience & endurance. Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart. (Psalms 27:14) It’s through our patience we build character (experience). We know now how to deal with the hope-killers. With our character intact we produce that hope. It’s that hope that keeps us going. No more depression. With our hope strong, we can now strive for those Great Possibilities.
Hope is not the prize! Hope gives us something to strive for. Hope keeps us in the game until the prize is won.
What do you hope for? What should you hope for? We should hope for eternal life through Christ. Every sunrise gives us renewed hope that the prize/goal will be obtained.
I encourage you to renew your hope each day in the Lord.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 121:1-2)
KEEP HOPE ALIVE!