How To Restore Hope

Followers of Christ should be the most hope-filled people in the world. Yet, many find themselves discouraged, depressed, and filled with fear. I must admit that I have spent much of my life in these three states. Recently, I have been reflecting on hope and how it serves as a foundational pillar of humanity, as mentioned by the apostle Paul: "And now these three remain faith, hope, and love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). As followers of Christ, we should embrace a perspective rooted in hope and the promise of resurrection.

What should you do when you have lost all hope? What is your response when life knocks you down, kicks you while you're down, and you struggle to get back up? And what happens when you finally find the strength and courage to rise, only to be knocked down again and again? I have experienced this.

We are entering the season of Advent, a time I didn’t celebrate for most of my life. Growing up, I wasn't even taught about Advent because, in our narrow Pentecostal view, it was considered nothing more than dead religion. However, I have come to appreciate this so-called "dead religion," as it has brought new life to me.

One of the great heroes of faith is Abraham. He was a man who received promises from God but had to endure a long period of waiting to see those promises fulfilled. Advent signifies waiting, and Abraham certainly experienced his own season of advent.

Initially, God instructed Abraham to leave his father’s house and move to a different land, but He did not provide any specific details. Later in his journey, God changed Abram's name (which means "exalted father") to Abraham (meaning "father of nations"). The challenge was that Abram had no children at the time. God promised him a son and that his descendants would become a great nation. Abraham was 75 years old when God made this promise, but he had to wait 25 more years for the child to arrive. It was 25 years of waiting—25 years of holding on to hope when everything seemed hopeless.

Did Abraham waver during this time? According to the story in Genesis, it seems he did. In his impatience, he tried to fulfill God’s promise on his own by having a son with his wife’s maidservant. However, that was not part of God’s plan.

In Romans 4:18, Paul the Apostle provides valuable insight: "In hope against hope, he believed, so that he might become the father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, 'So shall your descendants be.'"

Somehow Paul sees things differently. Paul conveys that, despite having no reason for hope, Abraham chose to believe. The key point here is that Abraham did not base his hope on his circumstances; he placed his hope in God.

I must admit that I have often lost hope throughout my life because I focused on my circumstances instead of looking toward God. God is always faithful and has my best interests at heart. It is up to me to trust in His words and promises, even when everything around me seems to suggest otherwise.

We lose hope when we lose sight of God’s future for us. God didn’t promise us a life free of pain or trouble; in fact, just the opposite is true. Jesus warned us that we would face tribulation in this world. Although God may not always step in to save the day, and sometimes bad things happen to us, He promises to always be with us and to work our circumstances out for our good. Even when Abraham made mistakes, like having Ishmael and lying about Sarah twice, he still ended up blessed because God is faithful to His promises, even when we are not.

We lose hope when we stop envisioning the future God has for us. To restore our hope, we must begin to see a brighter future.

Jesus has given us a vision of a good future. This future includes eternal and abundant life in the ever-present now, everything we need for life and godliness, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, participating in the divine nature, and being united with Him and His Father.

While it’s not always easy, during our darkest times we can still find many things to renew hope if we look beyond our circumstances.

How do We Restore Hope in our Lives?

1. Recognize that our Father can accomplish the impossible and the improbable. Is anything too hard for our God? While our answer should be no, we often struggle to believe it. Begin to have faith that nothing is beyond God's reach.

2. Reflect on the promises of God. Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves of His promises, especially when our circumstances appear to contradict them.

3. Place your faith—not in the promise itself, but in the Promise Maker. We often become preoccupied with the details of how and what God will do. However, it’s not our responsibility to know the specifics. Our duty is simply to trust that He loves us, is always good, and has our best interests at heart.

4. Look beyond your circumstances. If we focus too much on our immediate situations, we may miss what God is doing. As a friend of mine says, “God is doing more behind your back than He is in front of you.”

5. Embrace a mindset of resurrection. If God can raise Jesus from the dead, He can bring life to any challenge you face. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be people who embody resurrection faith.

When you are facing the death of something in your life, you have to see Jesus in the midst of death and the grave because He’s been there and conquered it.

Romans 15:13 -- Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In this season of Advent, let us become people of hope even though we wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled. God always comes through!