When you’re scared to get your hopes up, remember this truth about God’s power and goodness.
[Download the square image here]
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This is Day 6 of Practicing Hope. It goes along with Day 5:
Do you have a favorite scripture about hope? Please share in the comments.
Hope can feel dangerous. What if we hope, and then reality turns out differently?
Hoping only for a specific outcome or by a specific deadline actually is not a safe way to practice hope.
As we’ve all discovered, our future almost always looks different than what we had originally hoped for.
But different doesn’t mean bad. Different doesn’t have to be faith-crushing.
Only hope placed in God’s goodness is totally secure, not hope in an exact result nor within a certain time period.
When we place our hope in God, that he will care for us in ways we can see and in ways we can’t see, we release the outcome into his hands.
These quotes below are by Shaka Senghor. Shaka was imprisoned for shooting and killing a man. He served 19 years in prison in Michigan. He could have rejected hope for the future because of his past.
But hope is unchained by God to roam free in each of our lives. Hope isn’t imprisoned by our past. Hope illuminates our future by redefining our present with confidence.
Read this excerpt from Shaka’s book, Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison. And if you have time, read the whole book. You’ll find hope for yourself there, too. [See more quotes here in my book review—Writing My Wrongs was one of my top 10 books of 2016.]
“And that’s the thing about hope. In the moment when you feel it, it can seem foolish or sentimental or disconnected from reality. But hope knows that people change on a timeline that we can’t predict.
We can never know the power that a word of kindness or an act of forgiveness will have on the person who needs it most.
What I now know is that my life could have had many outcomes; that it didn’t need to happen the way it did. I was once an angry, lost teenager holding a community hostage to fear and greed. Thousands of youth are making the same mistakes every day.
But we weren’t born that way. None of our children are born that way. And when they get that way, they aren’t lost for good.
That’s why I’m asking you to envision a world where men and women aren’t held hostage to their pasts, where misdeeds and mistakes don’t define you for the rest of your life. In an era of record incarcerations and a culture of violence, we can learn to love those who no longer love themselves.
Together, we can begin to make things right.”
Shaka Senghor discusses his book, “Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison” at the 2016 L.A. Times Festival of Books.
Ask yourself today what makes you afraid to hope. (Personally, I’m afraid of being disappointed.)
Whatever your reasons, dig deeper into them. Ask God to reveal the lie you are believing. (My lie? That if my expectations aren’t met, God’s goodness won’t be enough to compensate.)
The more we learn to practice safe hope—hope in God, not in a specific outcome—the sooner we can lose our fear of hoping.
Hope isn’t dangerous. Hope is good.
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Are you too often afraid to get your hopes up? What do you fear? Please share in the comments.
See More:
This is Day 5 of my series, Practicing Hope. See all the posts here. I’m participating in #Write28Days with Anita.
I’m writing every day this month on “Practicing Hope.” So look for hope in more places here on my monthly round-up.
What did you enjoy in January? What are you hoping for in February?
[If you can’t see the 1 Second Everyday video, click here]
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• Need to Improve Your Mood?
by Emily Price
Step outside for 5 minutes. A simple dose of hope is often right outside our door. Researchers are proving what we already know intuitively: going outside for even a few minutes really can lift our spirits.
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• Why It Pays to Declutter Your Digital Life
by Kelly Oakes
I can often lose hope when I look at my digital photos—I have too many! Maybe it’s emails for you. Or folders on your PC desktop. Digital hoarding can be just as debilitating as physical hoarding. But there’s hope. Set aside time regularly to regain control of your digital clutter. [Here’s a book that helped me; I need to reread it.]
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• Intellectual Humility: The Importance of Knowing You Might Be Wrong
by Brian Resnick
Don’t lose hope if you think you might be wrong about something. It’s actually a good thing! The hardest part might be uncovering our blind spots. But it’s worth it.
The classic Dunning-Kruger finding: People who perform worst on a task are supremely overconfident in their ability to perform that task. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
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• How to Configure Your iPhone to Work for You, Not Against You
by Coach Tony
This is a very, very thorough guide to getting more out of your iPhone. The explanations are clear and illustrated. I’m doing a few things each week. And loving the changes. I’ve recently switched to a swiping keyboard for typing. There’s a learning curve, but it’s already a much quicker way to text and type on my phone (although if you get a weird message from me, know I still make a lot of errors).
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• Valentine’s Day When Married
This is definitely Jeff and me. For Valentine’s Day. Anniversary. Birthdays. We both hate to shop and don’t care about gifts, so it works for us.
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• Abridge, Too Far
by Jamie Todd Rubin
I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but I feel like I’d be cheating myself out of something valuable if I used a service like Blinkist to give me the 15-minute version of the best books. (I never could let myself my parents’ Reader’s Digest Condensed Books for the same reason.) But it could be useful in deciding what to read later in full. Your thoughts?
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• Marie Kondo Doesn’t Really Want You to Throw Away Your Books
by Lisa Respires France
The internet got angry at the suggestion by Marie Kondo to keep 30 books. This article tells what she might have meant instead.
Because really . . . just 30 books?
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• ‘Collusion,’ ‘Ghosting,’ ‘POTUS’ Top List of Banished Words for 2019
by Doug Criss
Also includes ‘wheelhouse,’ ‘wrap my head around,’ and ‘in the books.’
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• 2 New (to me) Christian Podcasts
I’ve recently discovered these two podcasts and have been binge-listening. They give me hope that followers of Christ are staying relevant in our current culture.
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• 10 Books I Recommend + Video
Here are 4 novels and 6 non-fiction books I really enjoyed last month. They all provide hope in their own unique way.
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Anita is doing a #Write28Days series this month (replaces the #Write31Days in October that has retired). I’m writing on how to actually practice hope as a spiritual discipline. (I *hope* I can keep up! lol). Hope is also my One Word for 2019 so it will be good for me.
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• Tree-a-Month
In 2017, I took a picture of our backyard every month. In 2018 I focused on just one tree every month. The nuance basically happens just a few weeks out of the year as seasons change. For 2019? I’m just looking, not snapping. And excited that spring will be here soon with full greenery again.
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• Special Weekend Visitor
We loved having our grandbaby visit a weekend ago. Time with her is always fun.
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• Then She Turned 1!
I’m not sure how this happened, but we’ve been grandparents for a full year now! Having the best time!
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• Future Piano Player?
I’m hoping she’ll be the next pianist in the family, if she enjoys it like she does now. Many little (and big) fingers have played our old piano.
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• Ordinary Is Underrated – The Ministry of Ordinary Places
Don’t think you always have to go big. Sometimes the most magic happens when you go small. Review of Shannan Martin’s book, The Ministry of Ordinary Places.
• Connect Your Dots
Are you connecting the dots in your life? They can help us discover the bigger picture. Here are three dots in this season for me.
• What If You Have to Go Backward to Go Forward?
Going backward is not what we like to do. But what if going back to the beginning is the best way to make forward progress?
• You Might Be an Introvert If . . .
You might be an introvert if . . . you have friends who talk more than you do, you prefer texts to phone calls, etc. Thoughts from Susan Cain’s, Quiet.
• Resist and Persist – An Important Book for Our Times
What role should people of faith be playing in the fight for equality? Erin Wathen lays it out plainly in Resist and Persist.
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What was a highlight from your January? What are you looking forward to in February? Please share in the comments.
See all the Practicing Hope posts here.
The Bible is full of scriptures about hope. We’ll look at several throughout this series on “Practicing Hope.” Get all the posts here.
Download this image [click here to get the instagram version] to help you remember to use hope as your anchor in this new week. Memorize it to more fully embed it into your heart.
Also, look around you this week to discover anchors in clothing, jewelry, tattoos, advertising, etc. Every time you see an anchor, thank God for being your hope, your anchor, in every storm. Read this for more on anchors as symbols of hope.
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Do you have any jewelry or clothes with an anchor? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
What are symbols we use for hope?
Every day in February we’ll look at a different activity for “Practicing Hope.” On Saturdays we’ll examine a different symbol that represents hope. And how we can use it to strengthen our hope.
The anchor is a very ancient symbol of hope because of its function. Normally made of metal and connected to a rope or chain, an anchor is what holds a ship in place by digging into the bed of the water under the ship. It prevents the ship from drifting, which would naturally occur due to wind or current.
A Christian believer’s hope, our anchor, is based on God’s faithfulness and goodness. His promise to take care of us won’t be broken. Regardless of the waves of life that beat against us, we have
“an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God” (Hebrews 6:19, Message).
The early Christians who were persecuted by the Romans drew anchors inside the catacombs, representing Christ as a symbol of safety. It’s said they also wore anchor jewelry or had anchor tattoos to identify themselves as Christians or to mark safe houses for those needing to escape from persecution.
In modern days we’ve often seen sailors and fishermen who have anchors tattooed on their forearms. Including the infamous Popeye.
As we sail through the remainder of the week, let’s put down our anchor to embed into the promises of God.
Envision a current storm in your life. Then connect a promise of God to help you stay the course. Anchor your hope there. Allow God’s faithfulness and goodness to hold you steady. (Find over 50 promises here.)
No matter how rough the storm, you won’t drown in it.
One of my favorite promises is found in Isaiah 43:2-3:
“When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you.”
Also, find your own spiritual analogies to anchors here in this 1-minute video of different types of anchors.
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Find the whole series here on Practicing Hope.
Just try to keep your hopes up.
That’s what we often tell ourselves and others.
But is that enough?
1 – Hope Is a Verb. Practice It.
Don’t just try to keep your hopes up. Practice hope as a spiritual discipline.
2- The Anchor – A Symbol of Hope
Anchors are often used as symbols for hope. Why? And what anchors a Christian to hope?
3 – We Have an Anchor – Hebrews 6:19
The Bible is full of scriptures on hope. Download this image of Hebrews 6:19 about hope in Jesus as our anchor.
4 – 5 Links, Books, and Things I Love – Hope Edition
Links and pictures of articles, books, and things I love – February 2019
5 – When Hope Feels Dangerous
Our hope for the future isn’t defined by our past. Here’s why we should continue to practice hope, even when it feels dangerous.
6 – Hope for Far More {Scripture Image}
When you’re afraid to hope, remember this truth about God’s power. It’s far more than you can imagine. Download Ephesians 3:20 graphic.
7 – Hope in Politics – Is It a Choice? 5 Ways to Practice Hope
Politics can feel hopeless. But here are 5 ways to practice hope, even in politics. Make the choice.
8 – Choose from Hope, Not Fear
We can’t always choose our circumstances. But we can choose to respond from hope, not fear.
9 – Doves as Symbols of Hope to Start Again
When the dove brought back an olive leaf, he also brought back hope.
10 – May the God of Hope Fill You {Scripture Image}
The God of hope fills you with joy, with peace. Let hope overflow by his power. Romans 15:13.
11 – Hope Leads to Action
The more you hope, the more you’re likely to take action and succeed. Keep hoping. Keep moving.
12 – Hope, Not Just from Bad, But for Good
Hope isn’t just a desire to escape FROM something bad. It’s also FOR something good to look forward to.
13 – Even Death Is About Hope
“Connecting with the certainty of death is a critical step toward connecting with the certainty of hope.” Even death can be about hope.
14 – Hold Hope for One Person at a Time
When you can’t do the big things, do one thing. For one person at a time.
15 – Battling Between Fear and Hope? Stand on the Rock
When darkness tries to roll over your bones, don’t be shaken. Fear doesn’t stand a chance when you stand in Jesus’s love.
16 – Another Symbol of Hope – Complete and Unending
The Native American Indians used an 8-pointed star as a symbol of hope. Complete and unending.
17 – Never Give Up Hope?
“I will never give up hope or stop praising you.” (Psalm 71:14). David makes a bold claim. I’m not there yet.
18 – Presidents’ Day Hope
In honor of Presidents’ Day, here are three quotes on remaining hopeful.
19 – How Does the Bible Actually Work?
The Bible works not by giving us an answer key, but by showing us what God is like. He is our hope.
20 – God Is a Safe Place
Hope comes from somewhere. It always has a source. In God is the safest place to be. Psalm 62:5.
21 – 4 Ways to Express Your Hope
When you feel too cynical or things seem hopeless, that’s the best time to practice your hope. Here are 4 ways.
22 – Raise Your Hallelujah
When hopelessness tries to assert itself, raise your hallelujah higher than your doubts. It is one way you can practice having hope.
23 – Are You Like an Iris? There’s Hope
Resilient. Adaptable. Faithful. Do you have these traits? Like the iris, be a a symbol of hope.
24 – Another Way to Practice Hope – Recite Scripture to Yourself
One way I practice hope is by reciting scripture to myself about the Lord’s goodness. And what more beautiful passage than Lamentations 3 to recover any lagging hope?
25 – Opt for Hope – The Promises of God
See these promises of God. And opt for hope. God’s promises come from his character. And his character is Love.
26 – Get Your Hopes Up for Good Gifts Ahead
We can’t imagine the gifts God has planned for us or what time they will arrive. But we can know they will be good. Get your hopes up.
27 – 7 Books of Hope I Recommend
Here are books I recommend from what I finished reading this month.
28 – 4 Places to Look for Hope
It matters where you look for hope. It determines what you see. Here are four places to look.
This post below is Day 1 . . . Hope Is a Verb.
I have a dear friend in the hospital right now. He’s fighting against an infection in his blood after having open heart surgery.
I’m trying to keep my hopes up.
But it feels inadequate.
Sometimes forcing ourselves to hope feels only like “the power of positive thinking.” A contrived Pollyanna mindset. A lesson from our children’s book, “I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!”
I’ve never been a big believer in dream board collages of vacation homes I’ll own. Or of visualizing myself crossing the finish line at the Olympics to turn me into a world-class runner. I don’t want to trick myself into believing if I think about it hard enough, it will happen.
Nor do I believe that if I claim a promise in the Bible, then it will automatically be mine. Not every promise is meant for me. My prayers about what is best rarely match up to God’s perfect thoughts about the full situation.
Granted, thinking positively does matter. God doesn’t want us to sink into our gloomiest thoughts and stay there.
But even as I pray for my friend’s healing, his strength, and God’s grace, I know that my hope muscles needs strengthening.
I want my hope to be genuinely based on truths about God’s goodness. About his faithful character. About his unending love.
I know who is Hope.
Hope is Jesus. He is Hope personified. He is the foundation of all hope.
Yet hope is more than a noun.
Hope is also a verb. Hope is something we can do. Something we can practice.
Even when hope feels unsafe, when it feels dangerous to expose our heart.
So this month I will do more than try to hope. I want to make a practice of hope.
Every day of February, I’ll share here about practicing hope, about acting on hope in real and tangible ways.
Just as physical exercise makes a difference in our physical health, so spiritual disciplines make a difference in our spiritual health. Not as a result of our strength. But from a deeper awareness and reality of the presence of God.
God can cause our hope to grow when we practice it. Our hope can become more steady, more reliable, more second-nature. And spread to others as well.
The apostle Paul said these three remain: faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
But the greatest of these is . . . love. Not hope? No.
But if faith and hope contribute to building up love, then faith and hope are also worthy goals to pursue.
I will continue to pray that my friend will improve enough to leave ICU soon and return home to his wife (one of the Four Corners) by the end of this month.
And I will also hope. With faith. And for love, the greatest of all.
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Does hope come easily to you? How do you practice hope? Do you have a favorite scripture on hope? Please share in the comments.
If you want to practice hope, too, please join me here for 28 days in February. I appreciate hearing from you and learning from your wisdom. (And I’ll be looking at Hope all year; it’s my One Word for 2019).
Here are four ways to follow along. I also share ideas on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
