Hope, A Misunderstood Word

Man, I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow. I sure hope I can find a close parking space at the mall. Or how about – I hope I can lose this weight after Christmas or I hope this growth isn’t cancer. Many thoughts toward the word called hope. The dictionary beaks it down like this:

One word in that group stood out for me – Cherish

When we think of hope from a Christian perspective it takes on a whole different meaning. I think what tends to happened with any language or word of power in any language is that we get complacent of its meaning and its power.

In Sarah Young’s devotional book Jesus Calling, she reminds us that many Christian’s today misunderstand the word hope believing it to denote wishful thinking. And I agree with her statement of  ‘Nothing could be further from the truth.’

Christians believe that once we accept the Son as our savior, we replace the fears of hell with the longings of heaven. We then have the hope of heaven that strengthens us and encourages us, filling us with a yearning for God, our creator, our protector, our savior.

“The phrase hope of heaven highlights the benefits you can enjoy while remaining here on earth. This hope keeps you spiritually alive during dark times of adversity; it brightens your path and heightens your awareness of God.”

Hope, while it is not tangible to physically hold onto with your hands, it can be felt in your heart. What a powerful gift from God to bring us love, joy and peace…hope.

Now that the Christmas season is upon us, spread that power of hope around and let your kindness be full. Let the love of Christ shine brightly in all that you do.