1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Two years ago a family member of mine was sinking deep into a period of despair. As I watched her fall deeper and deeper, I wondered – why does she not have hope? How can I make her see that there is reason to have hope? In an effort to guide her towards hopefulness, I called upon people of faith in my community. I asked them to share with me a story of when they were in conflict or in a difficult time in their life and I asked them what made them persevere…what gave them HOPE. Each one of them said they had HOPE because they had GOD.
I have always strived to hold onto the feeling of HOPE, even throughout the most trying times of my life. But it is hard and I often wonder ‘why should I be hopeful?’ What does it mean to walk each day filled with hope, even in your darkest times?
God gives us the gift of hope. God watched His only Son crucified on the cross in order to preserve HOPE for the rest of humanity. Jesus laid down his life so that when I am having a hard time with family members, or my children are sick, or a friend finds out she has cancer, or I experience the death of a loved one, I can continue to have HOPE.
My wish is that I can be a beacon of HOPE for others in my life. That I can walk the walk of hopefulness and that if someone asks me ‘how do you hang on to HOPE?’ I can answer confidently, gently and respectfully – ‘I have HOPE because I have GOD.”
Wondrous God….as I open my eyes to another day, I confess to you that sometimes I do not turn to you in my times of hopelessness. Sometimes I allow Satan to fill me with anger, despair and worry. Today I pledge to you, God, that I will try to be constantly mindful of the unending HOPE you gifted us by loving us so much you would sacrifice your only Son. Allow me to be a light of HOPE for others and allow me to share with them that when you have GOD, you have eternal HOPE.
In Your Most Holy Name I Pray