Friday, June 24, 2011

Hope

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT

I have often defined the word "hope" as "the belief that tomorrow is worth getting up for." It is that perception that the next minute--the next breath of our lives--contains possibility. Love is essential to all that we are and do but, as one author has put it, it is the soil of hope that allows love to grow.

Between wanting something and having something there is the potential for a multitude of feelings. We can allow past disappointments to keep us from seeing the potential of the future. This leads to despair and discouragement. We can allow fear to creep in. Fear freezes us in our tracks and keeps us from living life to the fullest. That's why Scripture says that perfect love drives out fear. Perfect love frees us to live without the dark shadows of fear. Finally, there is hope. Hope is connected to faith. Without faith, we cannot find hope in the trying times. Lack of faith makes it awfully hard for us to see the "light at the end of the tunnel." But misplaced faith is as bad (or worse) than having no hope. Faith must be found in God.

Hope is what Ridley Barron Ministries is built on. That's why Lisa and I have chosen to do what we do. Our belief is that the soul that is given new hope can face life with greater purpose and reach the full abundance that Christ promised each of us (John 10:10). We want to bring hope to those who have experienced life changing tragedies or world-rocking challenges. Our hope is to bring others hope. In so doing, my prayer is that many will come to believe that there is great possibility in the next hour, their next relationship, their next opportunity. That hope is found in a changeless God who has given Lisa and I both the promise that tomorrow is worth living.

Hope. Healing. Forgiveness. Because tomorrow is worth living.


1 comment:

Keena said...

We all need hope in this chaotic world. may you have a blessed week!