There’s Hope for You
Hope is one of the most powerful and positive resources we can possess. Hope is one of three enduring, eternal qualities that desperately need to be a part of our lives:
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) There are three things that will endure —faith, hope, and love— …
The Bible is big on hope. Hope involves having a positive dream and vision for our future. It involves looking ahead with the confidence and assurance that God has something good ahead for us. Hope enables us to see life differently. If we can envision and imagine God’s best, we will never settle for less!
The Apostle Paul was a man of great hope. His hope enabled him to see life differently.
Note Paul’s words, written from a Roman prison to his friend Philemon:
Philemon 1:22 (NLT) Please keep a guest room ready for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon.
When Paul wrote this letter to his friend, he was incarcerated in Rome. He was walled in, his freedom restricted and his life under the control of others. Although Paul was physically restricted, his hope was not. Through the wonderful power of hope, Paul reached beyond the walls that confined him into a future of freedom!
Note Paul’s words, “I am hoping…” These words describe an ongoing action—something Paul was doing and refused to quit doing!
Because hope is such an important quality in our lives, we can be sure that the devil works hard to quench, dilute and rob us of it. Many people have never developed hope, or their hope has been quenched, diluted or robbed.
One of the most telling signs of weakened or lost hope is the sense that change is not possible. People struggling with hopelessness are identified by some basic mindsets:
“I can’t change.”
“Others are never going to change.”
“My circumstances can’t change.”
While it is appropriate to realize that we cannot control change in others, nor can we always change our circumstances, it is totally inappropriate to say that people or circumstances never change. Both people and circumstances can and do change!
Hope-filled people see life differently. They have a very different mindset. They are controlled by positive thoughts that declare:
“God can change people for good!”
“God can change circumstances for good!”
“God can change me for good!”
There’s hope for you. Hope is essential for your spiritual, emotional and relational success. Hope starts when we start seeing life differently.
Dale O'Shields
For more information, visit the Church of the Redeemer's website.
Listen to Practical Living on OnePlace.com or watch Practical Living on LightSource.com.
