I HOPE (2)

The Apostle Paul wrote, recorded in 2 Corinthians 4:8, We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  1 Cor 4:8-9 (NIV)

Paul had the attitude that said: “You can knock me down, but you can’t keep me down”.  Why? Because he had hope.  He was sustained by it.  He was strengthened by it, and he was bound to God by it.  And he maintained hope.  He didn’t cast away his confidence, which has great reward (Hebrews 10:35).

Have you ever seen someone who has cast away his or her confidence?  Have you ever been someone who has cast away his confidence?  We ALL have trials and difficulties.  Jesus said we would (John 16:33).  But casting away our confidence can cause us to lose hope.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the strongest Christian in the world, there are times you can feel hopeless.  And you know that.  Maybe you have experienced a sense of loneliness and abandonment in the past, maybe you are experiencing it right now, it happens.  But you need to know that you are not alone.  Sometimes Bible-believing people experience spiritual meltdowns.  Knowing we’re not the only one gives us hope!   

We need to be there for each other.  That’s why Paul says, “Don’t forsake assembling yourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25).  When we gather together we bring encouragement and hope to each other.  There’s nothing like being around people that believe like you do to strengthen your faith.  There’s nothing like sharing your hope in God with those who haven’t heard that message before to build your hope.

Please don’t isolate.  When we get off alone and become isolated we buy into the lie that we’re the only ones that feel the way we do, that we don’t fit in with other people.  And when we stay isolated long enough we begin to lose hope, and when our hope loss is in full bloom our faith can collapse.  We HAVE to stay together; bound to one another in our mutual hope in God.  

The key to fighting off isolation is to stay connected: to God and to each other.  That’s what having hope is all about.  We stay connected to God by the hope we have in him.  We stay connected to each other by sharing that mutual hope. Today, if you’re tempted, don’t give up hope.  Especially when you are surrounded by so many – with shared experiences – who are so willing to be there.  Allow your church family to strengthen your faith.  And if you are tempted to not share your story, to not share your faith, to not share your hope with someone else because you think it doesn’t matter.  Think again.  Someone needs to know they're not alone, and you are more than qualified to carry that message.