We need hope that’s as solid as the concrete beneath our feet. A hope that we can walk on with confidence. A solid-rock hope that we can build a life on. But how do we find this kind of hope? Where do we get it? And most importantly, how can we keep it?
Hope Defined
There are tons of definitions for hope all across the landscape. Some are better than others. I’m partial to mine (imagine that.) Here it is: “Hope: living today while facing and welcoming tomorrow.”
Hope is making daily decisions with your words, thoughts, actions and attitudes based on looking forward. Hope is always looking forward. It always looks to the future. And while hope is always directed to the future, it’s hardwired into our moment-by-moment choices.
We all face tomorrow. We can try and hide from it. We can do everything in our power to ignore it. But tomorrow is coming, and there’s absolutely nothing we can do to stop it.
The difference is whether we’re going to welcome it. Do we look forward to the future with fear or faith? If God is who He says He is, then our future is secure in Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, He made the one-time payment for all our sins: past, present and future. Like the old hymn says, “I am His and He is mine.”
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The difference is whether we’re going to welcome it. Do we look forward to the future with fear or faith? If God is who He says He is, then our future is secure in Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, He made the one-time payment for all our sins: past, present and future. Like the old hymn says, “I am His and He is mine.”
We are His and He is ours. Today. Tomorrow. Into all eternity, and never interrupted: “And the God of the hope shall fill you with all joy and peace in the believing, for your abounding in the hope in power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13, YLT).
The kind of hope God offers is not cotton-candy hope. Not on your life. It’s not full of empty promises. It’s stronger than the roof over your head that you trust to protect you from the rain, wind and hail: “And this is no empty hope, for God himself is the one who has prepared us for this wonderful destiny. And to confirm this promise, He has given us the Holy Spirit, like an engagement ring, as a guarantee” (2 Cor. 5:5, TPT).
As you can see, God’s kind of hope is more certain than the hope that the sun will rise tomorrow. It’s a solid hope on which we can bet our lives and everyone that we hold dear. A hope that never disappoints. But how do we find and grow this kind of hope?
Hope Illustrated
To have hope, you need to have other people standing side by side with you. You need more than just a someone; you need a team supporting you. You need hopeful people on both sides, encouraging you. But it’s not a one-way relationship. To receive hope, you must also give hope. You need to be with other people, side by side with them. You need to support each other in hope. You need to stand together with other people.
Who are the people in your life, your community, who are willing to stand with you, side by side, enjoying life’s pleasures and enduring life’s pain alongside you? Starting today, line up with the people around you in your community, giving help, support and hope. And before you know it, you’ll be on the receiving side of hope, too.
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Chet Gladkowski’s latest book, “Hope Is the Key: Living Through God’s Superpower” is available now on amazon.com.
James Lasher 
Larry Tomczak 
Rabbi Eric Tokajer 
