Get your hopes up!

Facing a difficult situation or a significant challenge? Have you ever heard: “don’t get your hopes up, you will just set yourself up for disappointment!” Well that is a lie the devil uses to keep you a slave to your current situation. You need to do just the opposite; Latch on to God’s promises, Get your hopes up, and press forward in Faith so God can help you realize your full potential.

The following is a discussion of how Hope plays an essential role in your success.

We are spiritual beings

We are a spiritual being born into a physical body. Our job in this earthly life is to develop our soul (Mind, Emotion, and Will) which will live on in a spiritual body.

“…There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:44 part 2)

“…and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless…” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

“Physical life comes first, then spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46)

Things related to the physical world are visible but they fade away when we die; Things related to our spirit are invisible but they last forever.

“…do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

The physical world is designed to work in tension against the spiritual world. We are born entirely dependent on others for survival. The physical world continues to reward us for pursuing our self-interest, and it plays into our sinful nature which wants more and more for ourselves.

“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17)

Our spiritual development involves learning that there is more to this life than this physical world, and how we choose to live this life has eternal consequences. We are to transform from being earthly oriented and dominated by our sinful nature to becoming spiritually oriented and dominated by a love of God and pursuing things that help his Kingdom.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romns 12:2)

We must learn about God, come to love Him as He loves us, and decide to subordinate our self centered interest (Wants) in favor of pursing things that help Him and His Kingdom. We build our soul through beliefs, praise/worship, acting in faith, subordinating our own self-interest, and doing good for others. These things last forever in our spiritual body and in the soul of those we have impacted (His Kingdom).

“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26)

Faith is the spiritual substance that connects us to God and his kingdom. It is created when we put our trust in God and act on our beliefs, even when we can not see evidence to support them.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith = Belief in your head + Hope in your heart + Taking Action

Faith is built from a combination of belief in our head, hope in our heart, and a conscious decision to take action from our will:

Belief in God, Understanding His unwavering love for us, His promises for us, and the role of Jesus Christ as our savior;

Hope in God to provide a bright future, Loving Him as He loves us, building Anticipation strong enough to motivate us to relentlessly pursue Him as our only path of success for this life and the next;

Both brought together by a conscious decision to take action with our physical body, publicly confessing our faith, praising the lord for His role in our life, spending time building a relationship with Him through prayer, investing time to learn more about Him through scripture or bible study, committing to turn from sin, doing things for others, choosing to have patience while you believe for a better path in life.

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God… For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.” (Psalm 33:18)

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.” (Psalm 33:16-22)

God is the source: You can do nothing without Him

We need to get a couple of beliefs straight in our head: We need to become humble and recognize God is the source of all success. He provides everything for us. We are entirely dependent on Him. We can do nothing useful without Him. We need to put our trust in Him, and pin all of our hopes on Him.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

“I (Jesus) am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

“Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” (Psalms 16:1-2)

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” (Lamentations 3:24)

Reconnect with God: Repent and Get rid of your baggage

We need to put our past behind us and get rid of our emotional baggage: Recognize our history of self-serving actions as sins against God; Sins have separated us from God; Turn from those sins and ask His forgiveness and you will be reunited with Him; God’s love washes them away so we are no longer burdened by them; As God forgives you for sinning against Him, you must forgive all who have sinned against you. He will not let you move forward until we have processed the past. Once we have processed the past, we can put our hope in God as He builds a path for us to move forward into the future.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”(Acts 3:19)

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“(Like the shepherd who) calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”(Luke 15:10)

“For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”(2 Chronicles 30:9)

“‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 1:3)

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”(Proverbs 28:13)

“…if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15)

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

It is not all about “You”

Moving forward, We need to subordinate any purely self-centered agendas and bring more love and goodness into Gods kingdom in how we choose to act, and how we choose to use our time and resources. When we finally make this shift, we will be rewarded in this life and the next.

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)

“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” (Psalm 37:3-6)

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20-22)

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” (Romans 2:7)

Latch on to His promise

Life has plenty of challenges, Each challenge creates an opportunity to build our spiritual foundation, and Hope is one of the key building blocks in the process.

“…glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

We need to grab onto God’s promises of a bright future for believers no matter our past or our current struggles.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” (Philippians 1:6)

Build Hope in your Heart

Hope in God to deliver on His promise is an essential element for you to move forward.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance (composure) and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)

Hope is about setting high expectations in your heart; yearning deeply for something beyond what you can see with your physical eyes; believing for it with enough conviction that you pursue it fervently; and you are diligent, relentless and persist until it finally happens.

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”(Romans 8:25)

The Holy Spirit will help you build hope in your heart

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

“Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:24)

“…I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love. ” (Ephesians 3:15-17)

Embrace God’s love for you, have confidence in His promise of a bright future, and maintain hope

“Love suffers long and is kind; It… rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Become committed: Pin your Hope on God

Being steadfast in your hope taps into Gods love and builds strength in us

“… those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

It helps to find a specific scripture promise that resonates and focus on it as a promise for your situation.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.” (Psalm 130:5)

Hope in the Lord becomes an anchor for us, Centering our focus on God as an immovable force we can take shelter under or tie ourselves directly to as we face turbulent times.

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19-20)

Commitment builds Faith

By hoping for something you do not yet see, you begin to build faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

We are saved through Faith

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8)

If you remain committed to God, He will deliver on His promises

“The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.” (Proverbs 10:28)

Hope leads to the tree of life, so do not defer it!!!

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

“To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’(Revelations 2:12)

Go ahead and get your hopes up, Pin your hopes on the Lord to help you in this life and and the next.

Hope this helps. (Pun intended)