Bring on the Hope!

Do you need hope today? Skeptics. Pessimists. Cynics. Do you have any in your life? Maybe you yourself are one from time to time. How about realists, yes, even realists can sometimes dash our hopes. We all need hope today. I say bring on the hope!

Once again Jesus pumps me up! In all my years on this earth, I’ve run into a few individuals who are skeptical.

They are not easily convinced. They have a lot of doubts and reservations. They can see all the gaps and obstacles, hardly noticing the path of hope. Moreover, they like to share their doubts and reservations with us.

Now, let me clear, sharing concerns, cautions, and critical thinking is a good thing, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about when someone in their skepticism tries to dash our hopes and dreams.

Has anyone ever said to you any of the following statements when you’ve shared a hope or dream?

“Don‘t get your hopes up.”
“She’s only trying to not get your hopes up.”
“Well, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but the likelihood of that happening is almost zero!”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“You do realize how rare and impossible that is, don’t you?”

How does that mindset align with God’s Word?

Why would we ever try to dash hope?

Rejoice in Hope

God’s Word says three things remain and hope is on that list: faith, hope, and love. (1 Corinthians 13:13).

God’s message to us is that our faith is our foundation. Love is our action. But hope is the attitude and focus with which we are to think and embrace.

God’s Word says hope doesn’t disappoint us. Hope does not shame us. In fact, we are to rejoice in hope! (Romans 5:1-5)

I say, bring on the hope! Let us rejoice and be glad!

Dashers of Hope

We are not to dash others hope. Why do people do that? Do they honestly believe they are doing us a favor? Keep it real. This is rare. Just don’t want you to get your hopes up. Don’t want to you to get your hopes dashed.

Well, thank you for not wanting me to get my hopes dashed, but now they are because of you.

This is one of those things as Christians we need to be careful not to do to others. I don’t think it pleases Jesus when we try to rob someone of hope. We are to rejoice in hope!

Have you ever thought that obedience to Jesus includes taking the attitude of hope and the focus of hope? It does. Projecting our own bleakness and doubt with others never builds them up. Christ-followers are instructed to build up each other. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Don’t let the naysayers, doubters, and skeptics dash your hope. And I beg you, please when you cannot share your concern or critical thinking in an encouraging and hopeful way with someone who has a dream, just don’t share.

Don’t be someone who dashes someone else’s hope. Likewise, don’t let others dash your hope.

God of Hope

Our God is the God of hope (Romans 15:13). He fills us with all joy and peace. How? As we trust in Him. Why? So that we can overflow with hope! Now we can’t do this on our own. We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I say bring on the power. Bring on the hope! Overflow me with hope!

We serve the God of Hope. He fills us with Himself. That means He puts hope in us.

Bring on the hope! Bring it all on! We need hope today. We need hope Every. Single. Day.

We can hope. We can overflow with hope because God tells us to and He’s the God of Hope. If we start feeling depleted, I know exactly who we can go to to get filled back up: The God of Hope!

My prayer for you today is that you will go to Jesus’ pump and get filled up with hope so that as you live today, hope overflows onto others.

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.
Romans 15:13