THE POWER OF HOPE
Recently I was working with a couple who really wanted a great marriage but hope was fading. Their home radiated with strife and was quite volatile at times. They wondered how things got to this point.
When they first met, “Lisa” fascinated “Josh” with her ability to draw him out of his boring life into fun. Lisa, on the other hand, appreciated the security Josh brought into her life. His diligence, and his ability to organize and always get things done provided an anchor to her free spirit, tempering her creative ideas with certainty.
After marrying, Lisa found Josh worked hard to provide a decent living. As a result of work pressure, and taking his job seriously, Josh didn’t have much left when he got home. Lisa solaced herself by working hard at home to raise their children. Although she tried hard to keep the home in order, it didn’t take but a few minutes for the kids to turn it upside down just in time for dad to come home.
Over time they fell into a wicked trap filled with disappointments and discontent. Eventually they lost hope in their marriage, not knowing if they could even hold out for their kid’s sake. But it doesn’t have to end that way.
Christmas season for me is about hope and gratefulness for the wonder of God’s plan for us. I see it filled with joy and many reminders of our LORD’s free gift for us, which is amazing since we certainly could never earn it. It fills my heart with hope, especially when I see strangers showing kindness and being gracious with one another.
There is so much that drains hope these days. All you have to do is to read the news to get depressed. Yet, there is something in this season of Christmas that goes against the tide of despair and brings out the good in people. It doesn’t take much, a smile, a wave, showing a little grace and curtesy and the response is often gratitude.
But how do we attain hope? It isn’t because everyone is nice to us. Sometimes people are just plain rude and selfish. It isn’t because we can just brush despair away as if nothing ever happens. Hope cannot be found in the government doing the right thing for everyone. That won’t happen. If my hope is in others or even in myself I will eventually be quite disappointed.
It starts in knowing where to place our hope. When our hope is in the Lord, that He paid the penalty for our wickedness (and others’ also), that He has an ultimately good plan for us (no matter how painful it is at times), that He is working things together for good (no matter what I see), then I can find in Him a place to let go of my fears and find rest for my weary soul. This is a process we all have opportunity to choose. Sometimes we just cannot see it while we are going through difficult circumstances.
Back to Josh and Lisa: they had accumulated large vats of painful memories deep in their hearts from broken promises, missed opportunities and lost expectations that had crushed their hopes of the great marriage they both desired. They had lost the joy and charm that originally brought them together.
They came in hurting but chose not to stay there. With generous portions of humility (that was the hard part) and forgiveness, they allowed the Lord to clean out those old vats of pain and start rebuilding communication paths with each other. It meant letting go of negative attitudes and self-reliance while electing to discover and encourage the good in each other again. They learned to allow God to work in each other’s lives to achieve the growth and maturity that needed to take place.
Their hope shifted from expecting each other to do things “right” to trusting God to work it out in one another. You could see the hope build as they started showing tenderness and concern again. For the first time in years, they had hope for both a lasting marriage, and enjoying it too. Josh and Lisa realized they didn’t have to be “perfect” but there was enough grace to allow mistakes and still regain a good place with each other.
We all need hope in life. It is one of the big three: Faith, Hope and Love, that will abide on. When we place our hope in our Lord, we are not placing it in an empty concept, but in the One who first called us into His family. Where do you place your hope?
As it is written; “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15: 12, 13)
Bob Hardin
Director – NWBCC
Testimony
· I came reluctantly to counseling. I felt like I knew what the counselor would say, and I pretty much did. What I didn’t know was how humbling myself before God and being open and honest would break the lies of Satan, bring freedom from bondage, and shine light on other areas that needed grace, mercy and forgiveness. Addressing the area of unforgiveness and bitterness was humbling because I had bought into the lies of Satan that those who have hurt me need come to me, then we will resolve the problem, not realizing I was giving them the key to my freedom. I can now honestly pray for and thank God for the struggles I’ve had with others and the hurts they have caused. This was not what I came to counseling for. I thank God that He revealed lies of Satan and I was able, through the power of Christ, to break the bonds and be free in Christ. I’m excited to have tools to continue to break new and old lies and to move closer to Jesus. Lastly, when I humbled myself and confessed “publicly” sin which I vowed that no one should ever know, I removed the hook of Satan from my heart which he used to drag me repeatedly back into sin. It allowed God’s grace to flow for victory and brought hope of renewal in the Spirit.
Praise and Prayer Needs
· Bob recently had oral surgery to have the root of a broken tooth extracted and an implant (basically a titanium screw) installed. It needs to tighten with the bone before a permanent crown can be installed. So yes, the rumor is true, Bob does have a screw loose in his head and your prayers for it to tighten (bond with the bone) are appreciated.
· Please consider making a year-end investment into our ministry or a monthly pledge of any amount to help provide a firm financial foundation for our coming year. Thank you again for your prayers, finances, and faith in God’s work through us. Let’s make this next year of our ministry operations really count for Christ in this critical hour.
“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”
C.S. Lewis