Everyone Needs Hope
Merriam-Webster defines hope as "to expect with confidence" or " to cherish a desire with anticipation". Scripture teaches us that we can all have hope. Below is a few things that can help each of us find or strengthen our hope in what may be the most difficult times of our lives.
Hope
Do you lack hope in your life?
How can we cultivate hope in our daily life?
Let’s look to the scriptures and discover what God tells us about hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, 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.
Cultivating hope in our daily lives, especially from a biblical perspective, involves intentional practices that ground you in God’s promises and character.
1.Immerse yourself in scripture
a.Read, study, and pray God’s word
i.Romans 15:4, For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement the provide we might have hope.
b.Fill your mind with God’s promises of kindness, faithfulness, and plans for your well-being.
c.Meditate on the scriptures that are related to your circumstances.
d.Personalize scripture: Write down scripture and place them where you can see them often, making them personal to your journey.
2.Connect with God through prayer:
a.Pray persistently:
i.Pray for God to intervene in your situation and fill you with joy, peace, and hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
ii.Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
b.Share your burdens with God:
i.Bring your worries, doubts, and concerns to him, trusting he cares for you.
3.Develop a hope filled mindset.
a.Chose hope:
i.Actively hold fast to the hope that you profess, even when things are difficult.
ii.Hebrews 10:23, Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
b.Command your soul to hope:
i.Speak to yourself like the Psalmist did in Psalm 42 and 43, directing your soul to hope in God.
4.Practice Gratitude
a.Focus on God’s blessing and faithfulness, even during difficult times,
i.Remembering God’s goodness and blessings in your life can shift your perspective and foster hope in your life.
ii.Shift your focus: Instead of fixating on your problems, look for solutions to issues on things that you can control.
5.Community and support
a.Surround yourself with people of hope.
b.Surround yourself with people who will offer support and encouragement.
6.Embrace action and Perseverance
a.Take small steps forward: Even when the future is uncertain take small manageable actions.
b.Keep going even when your weary
i.Isaiah 40:31, But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like. Eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
How does biblical hope differ from General Optimism
Biblical Hope
•Confident expectation: Biblical hope is a confident expectation that something good will happen
•Grounded in God’s Promises: It is based on Gods promises and faithfulness.
•Future oriented: Biblical hope looks to the future, anticipating the fulfillment of God’s promises including eternal life and his ultimate redemption.
•Object of faith: Hope is an essential part of faith, focusing on the future aspect of belief- a confident expectation of unseen things guaranteed by God.
•Sustained by the Holy Spirit: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit sustains biblical hope.
•Does not depend on circumstances: It is not contingent on personal circumstances, personality, or outward signs of positivity.
General optimism
•Desire with expectation: Optimism is to expect favorable outcomes, believing things will generally work out well.
•Based on circumstances and experience: It can be based on observations and past experiences, and a positive outlook, lacking the absolute certainty of biblical hope.
•Can be wishful thinking:
Key distinction: The core difference lies in the foundation of the hope. While optimism can be helpful, biblical hope is a deep, confident assurance rooted in God’s character and promises. It is not just a feeling that things might get better, but a conviction, that with God, all things will be well, even through difficult times.
Do you lack hope in your life?
How can we cultivate hope in our daily life?
Let’s look to the scriptures and discover what God tells us about hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, 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.
Cultivating hope in our daily lives, especially from a biblical perspective, involves intentional practices that ground you in God’s promises and character.
1.Immerse yourself in scripture
a.Read, study, and pray God’s word
i.Romans 15:4, For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement the provide we might have hope.
b.Fill your mind with God’s promises of kindness, faithfulness, and plans for your well-being.
c.Meditate on the scriptures that are related to your circumstances.
d.Personalize scripture: Write down scripture and place them where you can see them often, making them personal to your journey.
2.Connect with God through prayer:
a.Pray persistently:
i.Pray for God to intervene in your situation and fill you with joy, peace, and hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
ii.Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
b.Share your burdens with God:
i.Bring your worries, doubts, and concerns to him, trusting he cares for you.
3.Develop a hope filled mindset.
a.Chose hope:
i.Actively hold fast to the hope that you profess, even when things are difficult.
ii.Hebrews 10:23, Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
b.Command your soul to hope:
i.Speak to yourself like the Psalmist did in Psalm 42 and 43, directing your soul to hope in God.
4.Practice Gratitude
a.Focus on God’s blessing and faithfulness, even during difficult times,
i.Remembering God’s goodness and blessings in your life can shift your perspective and foster hope in your life.
ii.Shift your focus: Instead of fixating on your problems, look for solutions to issues on things that you can control.
5.Community and support
a.Surround yourself with people of hope.
b.Surround yourself with people who will offer support and encouragement.
6.Embrace action and Perseverance
a.Take small steps forward: Even when the future is uncertain take small manageable actions.
b.Keep going even when your weary
i.Isaiah 40:31, But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like. Eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
How does biblical hope differ from General Optimism
Biblical Hope
•Confident expectation: Biblical hope is a confident expectation that something good will happen
•Grounded in God’s Promises: It is based on Gods promises and faithfulness.
•Future oriented: Biblical hope looks to the future, anticipating the fulfillment of God’s promises including eternal life and his ultimate redemption.
•Object of faith: Hope is an essential part of faith, focusing on the future aspect of belief- a confident expectation of unseen things guaranteed by God.
•Sustained by the Holy Spirit: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit sustains biblical hope.
•Does not depend on circumstances: It is not contingent on personal circumstances, personality, or outward signs of positivity.
General optimism
•Desire with expectation: Optimism is to expect favorable outcomes, believing things will generally work out well.
•Based on circumstances and experience: It can be based on observations and past experiences, and a positive outlook, lacking the absolute certainty of biblical hope.
•Can be wishful thinking:
Key distinction: The core difference lies in the foundation of the hope. While optimism can be helpful, biblical hope is a deep, confident assurance rooted in God’s character and promises. It is not just a feeling that things might get better, but a conviction, that with God, all things will be well, even through difficult times.