5 Helpful Things to Remember to Maintain Hope When Life Is Hard
Are you hopeful?
Martin Luther wrote, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”
If everything is “done by hope”, maybe we need to take a closer look at what that means.
Hope is defined as…
- Believing that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
- Looking ahead with desire and reasonable confidence.
- Anticipating something and expecting fulfillment.
- Trusting that the future will be bright.
There is an old expression that says…
A man can live about 40 days without food,
About 3 days without water,
About 8 minutes without air,
But not for 1 second without hope!
Hope helps us endure when life is hard. Hope believes things will get better. Hope gives us the courage to get out of bed on our bad days. Hope looks to God for the possible even when it seems impossible.
So, let me ask again . . . are you hopeful?
I think I am.
But I would also say that I’m honest about life. I know it can be a painful difficult journey. I know that everyone you and I meet has fought, is fighting now, or will fight in the future . . . a hard-to-endure battle.
That’s why I believe it’s important to maintain hope.
Hope is that thing that sustains and strengthens us. Of course, that depends on where we get and where we center our hope.
So, I turned to Scripture and found…
5 Things to Remember to Help You Maintain Hope
1. Remember that God always keeps His promises.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.
Hebrews 10:23
2. Remember that God is the God of possibilities.
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
Matthew 19:26
3. Remember that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39
4. Remember the hope we have in Christ Jesus will never lead to disappointment.
This hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Romans 5:5–6
5. Remember God’s love never fails.
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100:5
Repeat the following with your name in the blank…
God’s love never fails _________!
You and I can foolishly put our hope in all kinds of things; beauty, charm, knowledge, position, power, wealth, and other people.
Those things eventually fail.
But the hope we have in Christ Jesus lasts forever. Our hope in Jesus is the assurance that—God always keeps His promises because His love never fails.
Paul wrote…
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
Let’s pray…
A Prayer to Maintain Hope
Father, Your Word is full of Your promises . . . promises that tell me You are who You say You are and do what You say You will do. You promise that Your grace is sufficient for whatever I am going through. (2 Corinthians 12:9) You promise that Your Spirit is with me and within me. (Romans 8:11) You promise that nothing can separate me from Your love. (Romans 8:38–39)
Father, I thank and praise You. Because of Your constant unfailing love, because of Your grace, mercy, and love . . . because of Jesus, I can maintain hope as I go through life’s highs and lows.
Please forgive me for the times I have placed my hope in things that cannot last. Forgive me for giving in to doubt and worry. I am so sorry.
You alone are worthy of my complete trust. That’s why I can proclaim with Job, “I know that You can do anything and no one can stop You . . . I had only heard about You before but now I have seen You with my own eyes.” (Job 42:1, 5)
I have placed my hope in You and by Your grace, I will live each day trusting the hope-filled future You have prepared for me. I love you, my Lord and Savior. I thank and praise Your holy name. Amen.
Rick Warren wrote:
“What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that His grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.”
Faith and hope go hand in hand. When we need hope . . . may we run to God’s promises asking Him to strengthen our faith through His Word and Spirit.
May the Lord be with you, bless you, and fill you with the peace and joy of Jesus so that you might maintain hope even when life is hard.
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My hope is ever in the Lord, Deb. He does give me everything I need, even when life is hard.
Blessings!
Me too, Martha! He is so good! God bless you!
I think we are all prone to place our hope in people and circumstances time to time that most definitely results in disappointments and heartaches. So frequently when I look around myself the entire world look hopeless, dark, beyond repair. Maybe that’s why God’s Word always says to lift our eyes to the Sky, rather than humanity, circumstances or situations. But to GOD.
You’re right Deb, that He’s the Only One Who never rejects us. Even when I gave up on myself, the Lord just tightened His grip on my hand and continued to drag me in the Right direction. Jesus reminds me of a story I heard about two brothers who got lost in the wilderness in the freezing winter. The younger brother reached the end of his strength and told the older one to leave him behind and go. But the older one wouldn’t have none of it. He picked up the younger one over his shoulder and carried him through the freezing tundra until they finally he could see in the close distance a house. Before they could get any closure, the older brother exhausted collapsed and died in his effort to save his younger sibling. By carrying the younger one on his back, he stayed warm enough to survive until help arrived. The same way, when we’re ready to give up and give in, Jesus picks us up and carries us to safety even by the cost of His death.
Yes, the Only One Who ever stayed faithful to me regardless of my unfaithfulness, the Only One Who loved me despite my cold heart is Jesus.
The Lord is shaping and growing my faith through life’s recent events. And while many times I was on the brink of giving up, my heart gets a gentle nudge, a new promise to hold on to and move along.
Recently I learned a great truth from an online sermon. The pastor was asked about a position he applied for if he thinks he’ll win it. His answer was that he CAN’T LOOSE. They asked him what he means. He said, if he wins, then he’s a winner. But if he loose, he’s still a winner because he follows God’s will for his life. And I think that’s a wonderful approach we all can adapt. Rather than looking at a situation that doesn’t turn out as we wanted, to recognize that it was God’s will for our benefit. We can’t loose under any circumstances by keeping the hope and the faith in Jesus. Blessings
Thanks so much for adding this, Gaby. I love the words of the pastor. We always win when we rest in His promise to lead us along the best path for our lives. We are so very blessed!