“Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.”
John Maxwell
One of the ways the enemy has capitalized on the pandemic is by robbing us of hope. I’ve found myself having less hope because many events have been canceled, delayed, or altered. Slowly but surely, like a frog in a pot that’s gradually heated, my emotions were being capped, dulled, and lacking anticipation. Unconsciously I was protecting myself from experiencing more pain through loss or disappointment. The Lord doesn’t want us to live that way. Instead of placing our hope in circumstances, He desires us to anchor our hope in Him.
Romans 15:13 says: “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.” Instead of stuffing or ignoring our emotions, God desires that we place our trust in Him. As a result of trusting the God of hope, we receive the fruits of joy, peace, and hope. I don’t know about you, but I could sure use a dose of hope by the Holy Spirit’s empowerment.
I’ve wondered how this past year of loss has affected my mindset about God. Has it caused me to transfer my “poverty” mindset and orphan thinking onto God? Instead of thinking of God as the abundant, generous, and trustworthy Father that He is, have I begun to believe He’s stingy and withholds things from me? All these thoughts were floating around in my head until God showed me what He’s really like in a tangible way.
One day I received an unexpected and unwarranted extravagant gift in the mail. It wasn’t my` birthday, nor any other special occasion and it took me by surprise. I was caught off guard and humbled by the over-the-top generosity of the giver. It reminded me of God’s outrageous abundance and generous nature. God doesn’t dole out just a little, but repeatedly pours out a lot with His never-ending supply of grace. His love for us is extravagant, without limits, and not dependent upon our performance.
Through prayer I repented and turned the control of my emotions back over to God and my feelings, such as excitement, returned. God’s visible demonstration of His characteristic of abundance ended my struggle with feeling hopeless.
“As Christians, we have no reason to lack hope. Christ has shown the trustworthiness of God and of His Word.”
Chuck Colson
Relevant Reflections:
How has the pandemic affected your thoughts about God’s character or your emotions?
If needed, repent of any control over your emotions and turn them back over to God.