Hope

It’s a buzzword among believers and non-believers alike. HOPE. We HOPE we stay healthy. We HOPE we stay in School. We HOPE our favorite activities aren’t canceled. We HOPE the economy recovers. We HOPE better days are ahead.

Sometimes it seems that we are just “hoping” our life away. But if we know anything about hope, is that really such a bad thing?

In Romans 8, Paul gives us a very practical definition of hope.

“Hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for what he already sees? We hope for what we do not yet see, and we wait for it with patience.”

That seems like a very obvious statement. Of course, we hope for what we don’t yet see, right? But is it okay to hope our life away? Isn’t that just breeding discontentment and restlessness? Those motivations are not characteristic of followers of Christ.

So what does healthy hope look like?

As Christians, we do not place our hope in status, power, government, success, etc. We cannot hope in our marriages, our children, or even the church. We cannot even place our hope in ourselves no matter how competent we might be. Those things will never deliver if our hope is placed there. They will most assuredly fail at some point. 100% of the time.

Our only hope lies in the glory of God. Our hope rests solely on His presence within us and our assurance that He will be with us always. Our hope is HIM.

That is hope that never leaves us discontent or restless because that is hope that will not fail.
As believers in Jesus Christ let us never forget that He resides with us. Therefore, hope looks like Christ in US.

Colossians 1:27 should fill us with simultaneous conviction and motivation as we realize the responsibility we carry into our dark world. “God chose to make known how great are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is CHRIST in YOU, the HOPE of GLORY.”

Christ in you, Christ in me … we carry actual living, breathing, working HOPE in our bodies all the time.

Do we live that way? Do we love that way? Do we give that way? Do we include others that way?

If we don’t, then let us check ourselves with the One who made us. His desire is for our human selves to radiate with a hope that this world does not offer.

Father, please remind us daily that hope resides within us. Your life in us is all the hope we ever need. May we live with that truth always in mind. In Jesus name, Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• Mysti Chustz has been following Jesus since she was six years old.
• She is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Her most favorite roles are being wife to Philip and mama to Coleman, Mary Lamar, and Clay.
• If one verse was used to describe her life, it would be Philippians 1:6. “Be confident of this, the One who starts the work in you is faithful to complete the work in you.”