ON HOPE
We’re one month(ish) into the New Year, and the one idea I love is the renewed hope. There’s something about a new year that lets us believe in new beginnings, giving ourselves the grace to evaluate things with Jesus and without judgment. We allow ourselves to say “I can start (insert thing here) today,” and it just… makes sense.
Faith Vs. Hope
Hope has become my buzzword for me for a long time. I would text “hope you have a good day!”, think “ I hope I get BTS tickets”, and say things like “I hope God pulls through”
It wasn’t until recently where I realized I didn’t have any more hope. I had faith, but not hope.
Faith: compete trust or confidence in God’s character
Ex: God is my Heavenly Father
Hope: expectation and desire for God to do as He must
Ex: Because God is my Heavenly Father, He will provide for me.
I was hopeless. I looked at the promises God placed in my heart and evaluated it against the litmus test of my present situation. I took my reality as my fate when really it was the process and I was so angry and at a dissonance with who I thought God was and what He could do.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us
Romans 5: 3-5 (ESV)
One of the things we need to realize is that hope is the product of our situation. What you are going through right now may not be directly correlated to hope, but it gives you the opportunity to exercise the process of developing hope. When you see your suffering, you will be able to endure it, develop your character and as a result have your hope in God because HE WILL PULL THROUGH.
3 Things to Do Right Now if You’re Feeling Hopeless
If you’re like me, maybe you are thinking the same thing, even though it’s the new year. Maybe you’re feeling hopeless even though your spirit says you should think otherwise. So what should we do now?
Tell God
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
When I read this, I told God straight up I didn’t believe Him. I didn’t think He was able to do more than I could ask or imagine. Why? Because I’ve been praying for so long and I didn’t see any fruit.
This conversation I had with God didn’t change anything in the blink of an eye. I didn’t miraculously get pulled out of my current situation. But it did shift my perspective to see my God as present. He is here, now, and willing to help you figure out what it is you need to gain perspective on the truth of what this situation is trying to teach you.
Tell Someone Else
We say this ALLLLLL the time in BAE - you are not meant to do life alone!
When you’re feeling hopeless - in your situation, in God, tell a trusted friend. They are the ones who will help you get out of your own head and speak life over you.
Tell your spirit and your soul
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12Our battle is not a battle resting on the physical appearances of it, but really of the spirit. When your spirit is feeling hopeless, call on the power of the Holy Spirit to do the heavy lifting. You welcome in the Holy Spirit to overpower the seeming power of your flesh. Even though it seems like nothing is working, making way for the Holy Spirit to do as it must is a game changer.
I (really do) Hope You Have a Good Year
As this year unravels, I really do hope you guard your hope. There’s so much power in the hope of the Cross. When we look to Jesus, know for certain your battle is already won. It is unchanging. It is sustaining. It is finished.
Xx,
Jo