05 Dec Radiating With Hope

You know what grieves my heart? That there are Christians today who are living without hope.

Having hope is not the norm among Christian circles. In fact, I have found that hope is actually quite offensive to the religious spirit. At times it’s even looked down upon.

I can say this with assurance because of the criticism I have faced and the questions I have received.

People have asked, “How can you have so much hope? or “Aren’t you afraid to get your hopes up?”

My response is quite simply, “How can you not have hope?” and “The best thing to do is get your hopes up.”

I truly believe Christians should be the most hopeful people in the world. We should be radiating with hope. Why? Because hope is a person and He lives on the inside of us.

Hope isn’t about a feeling or a circumstance. Hope instead has everything to do with who Christ is in us and what His Word tells us. And when we realize who He is in us, we have no reason not to be radiating with hope!

I truly believe Christians are living hopeless because they don’t know what they have access to, what God’s Word says or who they are in Him. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are perishing for lack of knowledge.”

Christians will continue to perish, and therefore live hopeless, until they decide to renew their mind, just as Romans 12:2 says, “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think.”

Hope comes by a renewing of the mind, which happens when we read the Word. If we as Christians are reading the Word, it will transform how we think, which then will lead to us understanding the hope we have living on the inside of us.

Hope is a choice that you and I can opt into by renewing our mind. But, I don’t believe it should ebb and flow because hope is Jesus! Hope shouldn’t lessen the day you find out you are not pregnant or decrease when you didn’t receive the job promotion at work. Hope should be constant, because God is constant! He is the same – always and forever! Even in the midst of the worst of circumstances, we should be radiating with hope. Cancer Diagnosis? Divorce? Miscarriage? Hope should still be abounding!

I encourage you to think on this: Nowhere in the Bible does it say to live hopeless, so why has that become the norm? Why is having hope so uncommon? My assumption is hopelessness is due to hardened hearts. The reason people don’t want to get their hopes up is because of the hurt and disappointment they have experienced.

But, what makes more sense when you look at scripture — living the rest of your life radiating with hope or living hopeless as though God’s Word is dead and what Jesus did on the cross meant nothing? I hope the former resonates the most with you.

If we had a true understanding of scripture then we would be the most hopeful people. If we understood our place in the Kingdom, our identity and who our Father is, then we would be radiating with hope. Let’s not be Christians who perish any longer! It’s time to get our hopes up!

So how will you live? Radiating with hope or will you choose to remain hopeless? I hope you join me in radiating and overflowing with hope!

“Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!” Romans 15:13

“Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5:5

“Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!” Colossians 1:27

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31