Monday; September 13

I believe that one of the most underrated spiritual characteristics is hope. First of all, hope is often perceived as one of those “softer” skills. We like to think of ourselves as people of action and discount hope as something we cling to if our actions fail. Yet, hope is much stronger than we might tend to imagine. Our hope is built on a solid belief in the power and presence of God. Hope – the ability to have confidence in future events – is a byproduct of a deep abiding faith in God. It is believing that He will use our actions to produce desired results – and even if our abilities aren’t enough on their own, He will magnify them with His power to make it work out in the end.
As the Lord’s church was beginning, they worked hard; but they were not content with merely accomplishing what they could do. They had a hope that God would produce greatness through them. Interestingly, they did not have to generate that hope in themselves, they could look back at an incredible track record. The Apostle Paul challenged the church in Rome, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4). Let’s capture that same hope that allowed the First Century Christians to change the world. When we do, not only will we do more, we will feel better as well.

Think About It!

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