Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Finding Hope


Rihanna found love in a hopeless place. But what if I told you that you could find hope in the love of Jesus? Once this hope is found in His love, it will never be lost again. Many times we lose hope after experiencing rejection. Whether the rejection was from someone you barely knew or a loved one—rejection is still rejection. Hebrews 6:19 assures us of the hope we have in Christ, “We have this hope—like a sure and firm anchor of the soul—that enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” When our hope is found in Christ, it is an anchor for our soul/emotions. Rejection is no longer a factor when our hope is in Christ because unlike people, He can never fails us. However, when our hope is found in people, we will always experience rejection.

Indicators that your hope is NOT found in Christ:
  • You are not Happy- My Pastor always says, “Whoever you put in charge of your happiness is responsible for making you happy.” In this stage, when people fail you, you become depressed. Your hope is found in others making you happy.
  • The Opinions of others matter the most- At this point everyone’s opinions start to make sense to you. “Maybe I’m not called to do this… She was right.” “I am ugly….That’s why he left me.”  Your hope is found in the opinions of others. 
  • People become your god- Here is where idolatry sets in. As a result of the first two stages, you have now put people before God. You have made them responsible for your happiness. You also have cared more about what they have said rather than what God has already spoken. Your hope is found in your worship to others.
  • You have an Ego- This is where it gets ugly. You now have become “big-headed.” After all of the rejection you’ve experienced, you now want to vengefully prove to everyone that you are “somebody.” Your hope is found in avenging others.
When our hope is not found in Christ it is easy for our lives and emotions to spiral out of control. Ask the Holy Spirit to heal you from all of the rejection you’ve experienced by putting your hope in others. Hebrews clearly tells us that our hope in Christ will be an anchor for our emotions. Romans 8:39 also says that nothing can separate us from the love of Chris. We can never lose the hope that's found in His love because we can NEVER be separated from it. Think about it, when you first fell in love with Jesus you found unexplainable hope, right? Believer, everyday fall in love with Jesus more than you did yesterday. This is how you will be reassured that your hope is found in His love alone. If Rihanna could find love in a hopeless place, how much more hope could you find in the love of Jesus?

-Lord, be the anchor in my soul that holds me together in the midst of the storm. Today, I place my hope in Your steadfast love, knowing that I will never sink into hopelessness again.-

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