Realized this weekend that hope is not just "wishful thinking". The kind of hope a Christian has is knowing something is as good as done. Our pastor put to words something I have been struggling with.
I knew the key to overcoming sadness or loneliness was hope in Christ but I honestly did not know how wield hope in my life. You can actively use hope to fill the empty places in your heart.
If my total forgiveness of sins is done, if my power for living free from sin is done, if my place as God's child is a done deal then I can have a heart full of hope for my future.
If God hears my burdens and knows my needs then I can have a heart full of hope that He is actively working to equip me and fill me.
To have filling hope like that you have to really trust Him.
I realize now my lack of joy and hope was actually doubt.
Not doubt that God was God or that He was acting on my behalf but doubt that I could ever find joy in what He had planned. I wondered if sacrificial living and Christlike behavior would ever fill some of my more self centered hurts. I struggled with the idea that somehow He created me with a need that, His plans could not fill.
Yeah, sometimes just putting something down in print, or admitting your thoughts helps you to see how broken they are.
Trust restored, Hope renewed.
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