Losing Hope, Finding Hope?
So we're gearing up for a December series on hope at Connexus. Here's the tension for the series: Everywhere I turn in the Bible I read about hope, and yet hope seems so absent for so many Christians and those who don't believe.
I twittered about hope last week and got a surprising number of DMs and even email messages from people who struggle with hope.
I'd love to open the conversation more widely today and hear what you have to say (of course, you can DM or create a pseudonym here on the blog too).
Some questions:
What makes you lose hope?
What makes you hopeful?
How do you remain hopeful in tough circumstances?
How fragile do you feel hope is in your life right now? What's making it fragile?
Could you share some stories and thoughts? I find these real life stories so helpful when writing a series, and - as always, the series will be available to everyone free on www.connexuscommunity.com and on iTunes.
Love to hear from you - post away.
What I believe:
Hope is dependent on our emotional status, which changes every day. Some days are great, but some times are tough, making it very tough to hope for good results.
Faith is a constant source of positive energy. When tapped in, it can keep us focused on Christ, and His advice and guidance.
Faith helps give us Hope especially when we’re too weak to believe in it ourselves.
I trust Christ, and the faith I have in Him, to keep me strong and focused when I’m too burdened / distracted with many negative challenges.
I hope my boys grow in spirit and success. I hope Connexus helps many find their peace. I hope Christmas finds true meaning for families. I hope I’m living a life God approves of.
… I Hope…
Stephen
I learned my definition of hope and faith from a great audio book called ‘Destinae’. Hope in my mind is best described as an emotional effort by a person for a specified outcome – a wish of sorts, while faith is a belief that God has your personal best interest in mind despite whether or not you get the outcome you were hoping for.
That’s just how I feel about it. Hope is so important for us as humans to help us focus on a worth while goal.
The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, depicts this concept perfectly. In fact, Morgan’s character combats the concept of Hope in a place like jail, as a futile effort ending up in pain and loss. Tim’s character proves him wrong. He just didn’t hope hard enough.
We’re beyond the point of no return. We just HAVE to keep hoping for the best. Perseverance will eventually bring us to the goal we hoped for. I have full faith in knowing that. (I’ve invested too much to turn back now)
God, I love Faith!! My most trusted adversary.
“These are the places I was so sure I’d find Him
I looked in the pages and I looked down on my knees
I lifted my eyes in expectation
To see the sun still refusing to shine, But …
Sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes His face can not be found
Sometimes the sky is dark and gray
But some things can only be known
And sometimes our faith can only grow
When we can’t see
So sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes I see me, a sailor out on the ocean
So brave and so sure, as long as the skies are clear
But when the clouds start to gather
I watch my faith turn to fear, But…
Sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes His face can not be found
Sometimes the sky is dark and gray
But some things can only be known
And sometimes our faith can only grow
When we can’t see
So sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes He comes in the rain
And we question the pain
And wonder why God can seem so far away
But time will show us, He was right there with us, and…
Sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes His face can not be found
Sometimes the sky is dark and gray
But some things can only be known
And sometimes our faith can only grow
When we can’t see
So sometimes He comes in the clouds”