The Joy of Hope

     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.
     I Peter 3:15
 
Hope is just a four-letter word until it is truly experienced.
 
We throw this word around rather loosely these days.
 
“I hope to find it on sale.”
 
“We hope the Chiefs will go back to the Super Bowl.”
 
“I hope I get that promotion.”
 
All these little things are more like wishes than anything else. They are what we would desire to happen. And really, they are fleeting sort of “hopes” that change with very little effort or thought. Real hope is much bigger, and we often express it as well, but most often it hinges on doubt.
 
“I hope the doctor can save him.” (But in our thoughts, we prepare for the worst.)
 
“We hope for a brighter future with less violence.” (But the world is so evil.)
 
“I hope that the homeless find homes.” (But it’s such a big problem, there is so little I can do.)
 
Here in I Peter hope is so much more. Hope is a noticeable quality that others see in us. It is a way of living that breaks through doubt an offers an assurance of things to come. True hope is not a wish for something, but rather a strong trust that our Lord and Savior will provide for us in our every need.
 
When we “revere”, or better yet sanctify or set apart in our hearts that Christ is Lord we have assurance that our hope is not in vain. When we fully accept Christ’s Lordship over our lives, we have an abundance of assurance that all will be well. That does not mean everything will turn out perfectly and there will be no pain or sorrow, but in those dark moments there remains a glimmer inside of us that knows God is in control and that He will provide for us.
 
When we have that glimmer, that small flame in our hearts, people notice. It does not mean we never doubt, nor does it mean that we are always happy. What it means is that we have accepted that Christ’s love will pull us through the most difficult moments and that when we reach the other side there will be joy. We are living for that joy. And when we live hopeful lives, that joy spreads to others around us.
 
There is an old song “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden”, and a line from it goes, “Along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometime”. God didn’t promise us that life would be without thorns, but He did promise that the Son would shine in us if we accepted Him fully into our lives.
 
Our hope is not a wish. Our hope is eternal and when we accept the assurance of Christ in our lives daily, our hope turns into joy the whole world can see.
 
Kathy Hendrix