love hopes

     I hope that my relationship with my husband will continue to mature and flourish.  I hope that my children will grow into wonderful, God-honoring adults.  I hope that I will bring Jesus glory for all my days.
     Nice laundry list, isn’t it?  I have been thinking about hope lately.  See, I have this burning hope to be a writer someday.  A full-fledged, published writer that is.  I have submitted a body of work to a publisher and I am anxiously awaiting their response.  Since they have not sent out the rejection letter, I sit in hope; waiting.  
     So, I looked up the definition of hope in my handy dictionary.  Two meanings:  1. a confident expectation that a desire will be fulfilled.  2.  wishful trust
     Now I want to think about the relationship between love and hope with you.  We have been thinking about love since Valentine’s Day, and I see no reason to stop now.  Is there a correlation between the two emotions?  
     I think we first need to establish what hope is.  Using the above definitions, I think it is safe to rule out some ways that we commonly use the word hope.  Now, I hope the sun is out on the frozen tundra of a state (Minnesota) here tomorrow, but I will not become hopeless if it is not.  I hope that my favorite band will come out with a killer CD, but again, no tears if they do not.  
     Now, can I hope to become a published author?  Well, my actual hope is in God.  I know He gave me both the desire and the talent to write, and my hope is that He will continue to use me to write for His honor and glory.  
     If we take the dictionary and the Bible at their word, we need to use the word hope in its correct context; within relationships.  Relationships provide confidence, don’t they?  Relationships provide trust; especially wishful trust (I love the sound of that.). And if relationships do not provide those essential ingredients, they are deemed hopeless.  Think divorce and estrangement.  
     Now, I am able to have hope in my husband and my children because I love them.  Because they are able to fuel that desire in me.  Because I can establish a basis of trust with them that enables me to look forward to our future together.
     Now, if I were to remove all hope; if I were to take away all desire, what would be the cause to stick around?  Why would I want to be in a relationship with them?

What’s the point here?

     I think that people approach Christianity without seeing our hope.  Heck, in all honesty I think that sometimes Christians themselves forget hope.   We have a relationship with Christ; therefore, we have someone to hope in, and something to hope for.
     Let me show you a few examples.

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” (Psalm 40.31) desire fulfilled

”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15.13” trust

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11.1) so much trust

     Since we know we are not talking about the weather, or the latest CD, we must be talking about the kind of hope that only can be generated by a relationship.  But there is something else important to consider.  Sometimes, my husband’s thoughts and my thoughts do not align.  That does not mean trust is gone and hope becomes despair.  Same goes for Jesus.  I do not profess to know what He is doing.  What I do know is that as time progresses, and as He remains an active part of my life; I am learning to trust Him more and more, despite circumstances.  I like to think of it as the wishful trust of a child.  My children trust me when we are gaily playing, and when they are grounded in their rooms.  As well they should.
     One more thing to consider; our hope is not for this life alone.  If there is one thing every person on the planet has in common, it is death.  The greatest hope for a Christian should be for the next life, not this one.  Morbid as it may sound in this world consumed with living longer, I have joyous hope in the life that is still to come after this one is over.  I have hope that I will live forever with my brothers and sisters, and more importantly, with my God.  
     Ponder this-
”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you.  (1 Peter 1.3-4)

     It is possible to be born again into a living hope, a living wishful trust that would allow you to have eternal security. A hope that promises no matter what this life looks like; the next one will be a complete showstopper.  Because Jesus loves, we have hope.
Think about it.