Why have hope?
Having hope, being hopeful… most of the time sucks. Having hope means facing rejection, dealing with disappointment, getting discouraged, and feeling defeat. Why do it? Why set yourself up for any of that? Why willingly allow yourself to place yourself at risk for any of those things?
I have asked myself this question about a million times. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. There were times when I believed that being hopeful about certain situations, despite the less than desirable results I received, was insane. I remained friends with people hoping to better the relationship no matter how many times they hurt me or wronged me. I continued in relationships even when I knew the feelings were not quite mutual, hoping they could grow to love me. I’ve enjoyed tried to mend broken relationships with family because… well they are family. I continued trying to meet new people in hopes of finding the “one” despite so many let downs.
Despite every let down, I do my best to see the good in people. I truly want to believe that people are inherently good. I don’t believe conspiracy theories. I take most people at face value. I truly embarked on every adventure in my life hopeful that it would end well. That’s not necessarily a bad thing unless, I ignore facts and evidence that reveal that chances are … it will absolutely not end well. I DID, 90% of the time.
Overtime this took a huge toll on mental health, and overall well-being. I did my best to always put as much good into the world as I had in me. I never intentionally set out to hurt anyone, and did my best to be as Christ-like as possible. I couldn’t understand why it didn’t feel like I received even a portion of that back. It’s all about perspective, but that’s a topic for another day. There came a point, when I had lost hope. I can’t pinpoint it, but I know I had given up. How do I know? I tried to kill myself.
Hope is a double-edged sword. Like a coin, it has two-sides. Remaining hopeful, keep your moving forward. Having a healthy level of hope, placed correctly, will cause you to soar to heights you’ve never imagined. But having hope in the wrong things, people, or opportunities, can leave you with nothing but despair. The loss of hope can feel like death.
So why be hopeful at all?
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Without hope, you won’t have faith. Why is that important?
Just a few verses down, Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him,….”
A believer that doesn’t seek to please God, is wasting his/her time. It takes faith to believe in a God you can’t see or touch. Imagine the faith it took for Mary to believe that God had truly chosen her to carry His son into flesh and blood. What kind of crazy faith did Moses require to believe that God would use his staff, a piece of dead wood, to part the entire red sea for the Israelites to cross out of slavery? Think about Abraham. Imagine having enough faith in the God that speaks to you, that you are willing to sacrifice the son it took over 100 years for you to receive.
I want that kind of Faith. That level of belief in God and trust in His promises.
That is what I’ve had to learn about hope…. My hope should be in the promises of God, not anyone person on this earth, not even my parents. My hope now is that all the things God sees fit to reveal to me, the desires of my heart will come to fruition. I keep my hope checked with and rooted in the plans God has for my life by asking Him to remove the desire if it is not for me in this season and renew it only when it is His will.
When you find yourself losing hope, check where you have placed it. By design, hope in the wrong place will always result in a less than desirable outcome. Redirect that hope towards the One who holds everything in His hands.
Without hope, there is no Faith. Without faith, there is no way to please God. Therefore, I must have hope no matter how terrible life gets, hope is the one tool I must keep it handy. Where is your hope? Find it and keep it close.
