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D-7830
Recently I saw a bumper sticker which read, “Since I’ve given up hope, I feel much better.” It caused me to think about the importance of hope in my life.
I disagree with that bumper sticker: I would not feel better if I didn’t have hope. Hope is what keeps me going. We are told that God is a God of hope. 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.” God not only brings me hope, he causes me to overflow with hope.
Without hope, I wouldn’t have faith, for Hebrews 11 says that faith is being sure of what we hope for. I have hope that I will spend eternity in heaven with God, and that I will see Jesus face-to-face along with all my loved ones who also know Christ. This hope is absolutely vital to me, and my faith in Christ assures me that my hope is not wasted; indeed I’m sure of the things for which I hope.
Romans 12:12 tells me that hope makes me joyful. Can you imagine how dreary life would be without hope? Hope brings meaning into otherwise meaningless experiences. It helps me cope with all the things that happen which I just can’t understand. Hope brings me joy.
In 1 Corinthians 13, I find that love always hopes. When we truly love as we should, we will have great hope. We will have hope for our loved ones even when it looks hopeless.
The Psalmist said, “My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word” (Psalm 119:81). God’s promises and his Word are the things which give us hope when we feel like giving up.
No, I wouldn’t want that bumper sticker on my car which says “Since I’ve given up hope, I feel much better,” because I know it isn’t true! Hope is a vital part of my life, and God is the only one who can truly give hope through Jesus Christ our Lord. Otherwise, life would be hopeless.
Here’s the bumper sticker that we Christians should have on our cars: “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more” (Psalm 71:14). How blessed we are as God’s children to always have hope! Don’t take it for granted. Appreciate the hope you have because of Jesus because not everyone has hope. And without hope, you would not feel better, you would feel hopeless.
