100 Days of HopeEgzanp

Practicing Hope

Often the hopes and prayers of people are based on wanting something specific to happen or for suffering not to happen. In the last few days, I have heard people hoping their stocks go up, they get to retire at 65, their teenagers start behaving, or they never get cancer. If those things occur, then they believe they will be happy or joyful. Instead, Paul advises us to just be joyful in the act of hope, patient during trials of affliction, and faithful in the act of prayer.

It is not a coincidence that he follows these seemingly difficult and paradoxical commands with the advice to concentrate our actions on sharing God’s resources with other people. He knows the more we concentrate on helping others, the less we will center our thoughts on ourselves. It should give us extreme joy that as we share hope with others, we are demonstrating our hope in the Lord. It is one more example that Jesus describes in Mathew 25:40: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving us the ability to be joyful in all circumstances through our incredible hope in you. Empower us to share our hope with others today.