Have you ever struggled to keep your hope alive? Have your expectations ever become so bleak that you think to yourself, “this might never work, I might never find a solution, this is the end of the road for me…” Know this – you are not alone and this is definitely not the end of the road. On this journey of life, we all will be faced with trials. Nevertheless, the outlook we have on life is what determines whether we will end as victors or victims. Keeping your hope alive will definitely help you get to your expected end. And you know the great news? Hope is not a gift for a select few. It is for every living human being! So long as you have breath in your nostrils, you are a Child of hope.
So why then do men lose hope? Why do a number of people live in hopelessness? If we need to keep our hope alive, which I strongly know we do, how can we do that in such a time as this?
Why Many Fail To Keep Their Hope Alive
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 KJV
The above scripture are words of Jesus Himself. Many persons selectively pay attention to the above scripture. They are well aware of the trials, temptations and tribulations that are in the world. But here’s the sad part – they are totally oblivious to the presence of Jesus Christ, the One who has overcome the world and its woes for our sakes, the One who is everly with us in times of trouble. Hence, many get drowned by their problems causing them to lose hope regarding a better future and God’s expected end for their lives.
Friend, what you focus on is what you will be full of. When you focus more on Jesus (the hope of your Salvation), the magnitude and effect of challenges tend to diminish. As some Nigerians will say –Wahala no dey finish. Na only person wey dey grave no go see wahala (meaning Troubles never end. It’s only a corpse who does not experience troubles). So in spite of the challenges, choose joy. Choose Jesus. Choose hope. Don’t throw in the towel.
Why Do You Need To Keep Your Hope Alive?
Without hope, life will in no time come to a halt. When a man has no expectations or hope, life quickly becomes a heavy burden. You need hope to truly live. A hopeless man is a helpless man. King David totally understood the need for hope in his life.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” Psalms 43:5 NKJV (emphasis made)
King David was a man like you and I, very human. He had times when he was in high spirits. A number of times, he was in distress and even depressed. Psalms 43:5 tells us his soul was cast down. In other words, he was depressed. He didn’t let that remain his reality. He questioned that countenance and chose hope instead of despondency. Because King David chose hope, he lived to fulfil his God-ordained destiny.
My dear friend, you have a choice to make. You can consciously choose hope today. If King David, Joseph, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Abraham, Sarah and a host of other heroic men and women of faith chose not to throw in the towel, you definitely can do the same by God’s grace.
Some Ways To Keep Your Hope Alive
- Journal your daily benefits: At the end of every day, rather than being cumbered by worries of delayed dreams and unexpected detours, take time (5-10 minutes) to records good things that happened through your day. That attitude of gratitude goes a long way of rekindling your hope. Once it becomes a habit, you’ll always see something good in everyday causing you to be more hopeful about your future.
- Keep the big picture in front of you: It’s easier to lose hope when a man has no vision. When there is a big picture constantly set before you, it inspires a drive in you to pursue a future that is possible. That’s hope right there!
- Profess the Word of God: When it looks like nothing is working, work the Word! Nothing works like the Word of God. It’s still the most potent force on the surface of the earth. Keep engaging it when it seems nothing is working. The Word causes things to work!
- Share in other people’s joys: When people have the victories you hope for, that’s not the time to sulk and wish it was you. That’s the time to heartily rejoice with them. You can’t attract what you despise. Be glad for them, knowing fully well that what you hope for is obtainable. If God can do it for them, yours will not be an exception.
- Help others when and where you can: One of the best ways of rekindling your hope is seeing to it that the hope of others are rekindled. There’s someone who needs you – your expertise, your advice, time, money, information that’ll cause them to be more hopeful about the future than they currently are. Please, don’t hold back. Be a source of encouragement and hope to people. In putting smiles on people’s faces, your light will not be dim. Your expected end will be reached in Jesus’s Name. Amen.
Don't Let Your Hope Slip
So Dear One, don’t let your hope slip. Keep building it and reaching for the beautiful future God has so desired for you. As you practice the above and others not mentioned, I see your hope and life blossoming in Jesus’s Name. Can I get a loud amen in the comments section?
With love and passion,
