How to Be Always Hopeful

How to Be Always Hopeful

How to be always hopeful, written by Mari-Anna Stålnacke
Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash

Sometimes I am accused of being too joyful and hope-filled. But come on! Is there such a thing as being too hopeful? Not in my book because my hope is in Christ and there is not such a thing as having too much Christ. You see, my joy or hope is not based on circumstances, wishful thinking, or denial of pain. My hope is based on God and his Word telling me God will have the last word and not my enemies, not my circumstances, nor my fears. So, you ask, how to be always hopeful. Here’s my take on it.

I am counting on the Lord;
    yes, I am counting on him.
    I have put my hope in his word.

(Ps. 130:5, NLT)

So no matter what I am facing on any given day, I am hopeful. My God is stronger than anything I will encounter. My strength is very weak, I can not count on my wisdom, and my abilities are not that great. But, hey, life is not about me. Life is about God and his strength, wisdom, and abilities working in and through us. When we are children of God, all that is Christ’s is ours. So I don’t have anything to fear, panic about, or get desperate about. Christ is more than enough.

As for me, I will always have hope;
    I will praise you more and more.

(Ps. 71:4, NIV)

I know life is hard, you might battle with mental illnesses or chronic diseases. But your hope does not lie in being free of those. Your hope is something stronger and more reliable: Jesus Christ. Even if everything goes wrong for you right now, your hope is intact. This too will pass, my friend. All the promises of God are valid every single day and in every circumstance. And they are all meant for every single one of us.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:23, NLT)

How to be always hopeful

This is why I am always hopeful: Jesus is more than enough. And because of him, my future is secure. And so is yours. So celebrate your hope in Christ. Praise him from dawn to dusk. And all night long. Because of him, we are always safe and secure. So don’t base your hope on anything but Jesus. People will fail you, life does not go according to our plans, and hardships will find you. But in Christ, you have always hope, no matter what.

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken.

(Ps. 62:5-6, NLT)

So let’s dare to be joyful in every circumstance. Let’s dare to hope against hope. Because our God is alive and well and working on our behalf. Miracles still happen and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us. We have nothing to fear, God will lead us home to him.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. (Ephesians 1:18, NLT)

So, yeah. You might think I am too joyful, too hopeful. But I disagree. Actually, I think I am not joyful and hopeful enough compared to the amazingness of the promises of God. You see, my friend, you are loved beyond measure. You’re saved and empowered by grace. And you’re filled with and equipped by the Holy Spirit. So live your baggage at the foot of the cross, receive all that God has for you, and step into the future with joy and hope everlasting.

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:5, NLT)

Gracious God,
You are so good to us.
Forgive us for not celebrating you enough.
We leave our burdens, worries, and sins at the foot of your cross.
Pour out grace upon grace and fill us with joy and hope.
Teach us how to be always hopeful in Christ.
In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen

P.S.

Isn’t God amazing? When we remember this, we are fine. But when we embark on our journey on our own, we start becoming fearful and hopeless. That’s not what God wants for us. He wants us to live in him, then we may overflow with hope in Christ. May it be so with you! Blessings upon blessings!

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, NIV)

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