Hope Is A Verb
Hope is a verb. I bet you probably thought it was an emotion. But it's not. Because emotions can change direction like the wind. But hope is hope. It doesn't change just because our feelings change. Hope is a constant. It's reaching for the promises of God. And it's out there waiting for our emotions to catch up to it. It won't drop from the sky and land on us. We have a part to play. And so does God.
Romans 15:13 tells us that God is a God of hope. "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Am I saying that life will always be sunshine and roses if we learn to walk in hope? No. Because situations will always be out there ready to knock us down. But those with hope don't stay down. They go through the fire and come out not even smelling like smoke.
Learning to hope can be a process. Philippians 2:12 tells us that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. That doesn't mean that we have to work for salvation. That means that even though our spirits are regenerated at salvation, our souls aren't. And it takes a process of renewing our souls through renewing our minds. (Romans 12:2)
Before we go on, please hear what I am not saying. I am not saying that depression isn't real. I'm not saying that sometimes medication isn't needed to regulate chemical imbalances in the brain. I'm not saying that the pain of depression and hopelessness can't be so overwhelming that it seems easier to just pull the dark curtains, stay on the couch, and wonder how the rest of the world has the energy to enjoy life.
I am not saying all the above because I have been there. Before I found the God of all hope, I lived in major depression, complete with suicidal thoughts and self-medicating with illegal drugs to mask the pain.
I would like to say that once I found God, the journey out of hopelessness was instantly over. That I had arrived. And in a lot of ways, it was. There was a newfound purpose, and hope actually did return… but then it would leave. And then it would return again. This cycle continued until my mind was renewed through prayer and scripture. I wasn't instantly translated to my destination of a hope-filled life, but I did arrive there healed and whole.
Today, I am living proof that there is hope. It's out there waiting to be found. True hope can only be found in the God of hope, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I created a meditation journal a couple of years ago to help meditate on the scriptural truths of hope. Check it out... I believe it will help you not only sort out your own emotions but hear from God as well.
