In recent times, I’ve been learning about the power of hope. I want to attempt to explain it in this post even though I doubt I will do a very good job of it. I have needed to remain hopeful in certain situations in my life and I will admit that it has been tough, but I encourage myself with this: Hope is available.

Anyone who is among the living has hope;
even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

Ecclesiastes 9:4 (NIV)

I recently visited home in Nigeria and while it was a joy to be reunited with family and friends, and enjoy the warm weather, I was saddened by some of the issues I witnessed. To be honest, I felt like some situations in the country were hopeless, but I was amazed (and humbled) to find hope in the hearts of many people. I began to realize that the reason many people got up to go about their day and are eager to vote in the upcoming elections is hope. Hope that that day and the next will be better than the previous ones. As a result, my hope was rekindled.

To them God has chosen to make known
among the Gentiles
the glorious riches of this mystery,
which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27 (NIV)

Life brings challenges with it and not a single person is immune to them. I read recently that among the top reasons given by people who attempted suicide or have suicidal thoughts is the feeling of hopelessness. What is profound to me is the fact that hope, though just a belief that things will get better, is so strong that people hold on to it and want to continue to live. Now you might say, Lovelyn, I know some people whose situations never changed till they died. Why should I keep hoping that this relationship will be restored? As a person of faith, I will respond with the Bible verse below where the writer speaks of another life. Not everything can and will be accomplished in this life so your hope should extend beyond this life. With that mindset, you hold on to hope till the end of this life until you can get to a place where hope is no longer needed.

If only for this life we have hope in Christ,
we are of all people most to be pitied

1 Corinthians 15:19 (NIV)

Final Thoughts

If hope is powerful, a love that is hopeful is therefore a powerful type of love. My word of encouragement to you today is this: DON’T LOSE HOPE! As usual, God is able to uphold you when it gets difficult to continue to hope.

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What are you hoping for this year?

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