December 23 • Speaking in Hope

Sharing why our lives are filled with hope is one of the most meaningful things we can do. For some reason, it’s easier to share abstract thoughts, ideas, and arguments about faith or God. It’s more comfortable to share things that aren’t so close to our hearts. But people don’t really need more ideas. People need hope.

This world is overrun by thoughts. Talk is cheap. Hope is costly. Your experience of God’s presence and power is what people need. People are seeking healing and forgiveness and deep love. Give that to them. The freedom you’ve found. The peace you have. The moments of joy, even in the face of pain. 

Maybe you haven’t experienced hope as deeply as you’d like, and you yourself need that encouragement. Remind yourself of what God has done for you. Ask others about their lives and what they have endured. Seek deeper relationships, and you will find hope. 

Don’t get caught up trying to prove or disprove anything. Hope is the proof we need. We keep on waking up and facing each day, trusting that there is more, and life is worth living. And even those who refuse to acknowledge it are living in unrealized hope, because they are still living. We know the reason they’re still living. It’s our reason, too. 

Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. [1 Peter 3]

I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise of God. [Acts 26]