FEARFULLY HOPEFUL
Hello Seekers, as I am sitting here with you today, I have a confession to make. Much of my life, I have been Fearfully Hopeful.
Which is to say, that on many occasions I was Fearfully Hoping that something would, or would not happen. Too scared to truly Hope!
With the good things, I was afraid to fully hope that they could happen for me, so I Fearfully Hoped that they would happen.
With the bad things, I was afraid they might happen to me, so I Fearfully Hoped they wouldn’t happen.
I wasn’t fully committed to either scenario. Perhaps you can relate?
For many of us, Hope comes with an element of Fear.
That’s why you’ll hear someone say things like, “Don’t get your hopes up!” or “Hope, but don’t Expect”
Greek mythology also mentions Hope, in the tale of Pandora’s Box.
In that myth, all the bad things of the world were in her box, along with Hope. All were released or escaped from the box except for Hope.
Why did Hope remain contained? Was it the worst thing that could ever happen or was it the remedy for the worst things that could ever happen?
Would Hope have destroyed everyone, or would it have set everyone Free? Many today, are still too fearful to find out.
Our minds, like Pandora’s Box, will lose every evil, but not Hope.
Quite often the greatest Fear in Hoping, is a Fear of Disappointment.
What “IF” it doesn’t happen! What IF my credit isn’t good enough? What IF the doctor finds something? What IF this isn’t what I’m supposed to be doing, or IF it’s not who I’m supposed to be with?
What IF, IF, IF? Fearfully Hopeful!
Many times, I have had a Societal Hope. Where I Hoped like Society had conditioned me to hope.
Societal Hope is where you have an expected outcome for a certain thing to happen a certain way. That’s what creates all those contingencies. That’s why all the what IF’s.
The word Hope in English, refers to having optimism. “I’m optimistic that something will happen just the way I want it to” Just hearing that I already know that it has disaster written all over it.
In other words, I’m just wishing something would happen, which is counter to the true meaning of the word Hope.
The Bible tells of True Hope or what I call Spiritual Hope.
Spiritual Hope is Hope based in God. It is when I rely/hope in God to do what he has always done for me, and that is to take great care of me.
Our Hope shouldn’t be in a thing or outcome. Our Hope should be in God.
The Hebrew word for Hope is Tivkah, which refers to a cord or something that binds you to it.
God would much rather we be tied to His Word, rather than to what we think might be good for us.
Having Hope is not the problem, control is.
Too often we try to use Hope as a means of control.
We use Hope to try and control, that we get what we want.
I Hope, I get THAT job. I Hope, I get THAT house. I Hope, for only THAT outcome! Hope in this sense, is akin to witchcraft.
I don’t know about you, but almost every time I got what I wanted, I soon found out, that it wasn’t what I wanted!
So where do we turn? Romans 15 offers a clue.
13 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.
This tells us that God is the source of Hope for all believers.
He is where we should be turning to, bound to, tied to. Not an outcome.
There’s more, He will fill his people, with joy and peace, as they trust in Him for Hope.
Did you hear that? God is going to give us Hope, plus Joy and Peace. Thank you, Lord!
So, there’s our answer right there.
Stop HOPING, that we will get our way, and start HOPING, in God, who knows the way, and what is best for us.
David said it best in this Psalm. “Hope in God! I will again give him thanks, as my saving presence and my God.”
No one has Faith without Fear.
So, let’s Hope together in God. I’m afraid not too, aren’t you?
This is a Thompson Truth
