“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” Psalm 62:5
As Christians, we are called to hope. Not wishful thinking, imagining things, or pining for better days. Hope. Hope is not a pipe dream or a fairy tale. It is a strong action instead of a reaction. When we choose to hope we:
H – Heed His Word.
Hang onto encouraging verses in Scripture in times of trouble, stress or doubt. Recall His promises, read, mark and memorize helpful verses, and repeat them often.
O – Obey.
Sometimes we have to do things simply because someone in authority says so. If we can trust God and obey, then in hindsight we may look back and see more clearly why He told us.
P – Pray.
Instead of fretting, if we can drop to our knees and lay it at the cross we will find an inner peace which, as Paul states, surpasses our understanding. Much better than jogging in a hamster wheel of worry and churning it over and over in our minds. Pray, lay it down, walk away.
E – Expect.
The more we rely on God’s promises and His timing, then experience will show us things work out for the best when we “let go and let God” handle it.
So pry your fingers off the situation and relax. Have faith that God will see you through it, and claim that promise.
Father God, let us always choose to hope in You instead of fretting, or getting stressed over things we have no control over. Replace our qualms with quiet, our fears with faith, and our worries with wisdom. Amen.
Take Action
The next time worries niggle at your thoughts, choose instead to put h.o.p.e. into action.