giving out one paltry rose instead of showering others with the beautiful blooms)
“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” (Hebrews 6:17-18 NIV)
We have to take hold of the hope set before us. Have you ever thought about that?
I feel like I’ve always seen hope as something that comes and goes in my life, something I had very little control over.
Something bad happens. There goes my hope.
Something good happens. My hope comes back.
To think that we have a choice to reach out and take hold of hope is pretty amazing. Hope is set before us, but it’s up to us to take hold of it.
When we finally do take hold of it, we sometimes go overboard and hoard it. We clutch it to our chests and think we’ll lose it if we dare give any of it away.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Just look at this verse:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV)
My NIV Life Application Study Bible says that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles.
I write often about mental health. When I think about all of the people out there in this great big world living with mental illness, my heart just aches. As a Christian, I have so much hope, and I want to pass it on to as many people as I can. (*I’ve listed a few resources right after this blog post.)
Perhaps you don’t deal with mental illness, but maybe there is something you’ve gone through and God has comforted you and given you hope.
You’ve lived through cancer.
You’ve experienced infertility.
You’ve suffered through the pain of divorce.
You’ve cried and prayed about a wayward child.
You’ve lost a grandparent, a parent, a child, or a friend.
Are we doing everything we can to comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we have been given, or are we hoarding hope?
Look for ways to share your hope with someone who needs it. Ask God to show you someone who is going through the same thing you experienced. They need hope.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19 NIV)
Have you taken hold of the hope set before you? How can focusing on God help you to share that hope with the people who need it?
*Here are a few resources for people dealing with mental illness:
http://www.freshhope.us/ – The website of Fresh Hope. Visit their site to find a Fresh Hope support group in your area (peer-led groups for those with a diagnosis and also their loved ones), blog posts, resources for pastors, and even info about an online support group for those who don’t have a Fresh Hope group meeting in their area. Fresh Hope is one of the best things I do to make sure I’m staying healthy emotionally.
http://freshhopeformentalhealth.com/ – Fresh Hope’s podcast. Check it out to hear great advice about dealing with a mental health challenge, as well as interviews with people in the mental health field.
https://liferecoverygroups.com/ – I just discovered Life Recovery this week and it looks like a wonderful resource. There is a Bible you can work through on your own, or you can find a group to join (or start) near you.
By the way…if you liked this post, I would really appreciate it if you would click one of the buttons below and share it on social media. (I just added them, so I hope they work!) It’s one way you can share your hope with others! Thanks.