HOPE

Hope this very short, strange word that is in everybody’s vocabulary .This well known yet almost elusive word that is easily recognizable but so hard to put into practice, to implement in one’s life consistently, especially when it seems to be hiding or nowhere in sight.

Often when faced with  life’s many challenges and  discouragement  you may be told ,to “keep hope alive ”  or “don’t lose hope ,the situation is bound to improve” “ don’t’ give up hope ,let’s remain hopeful” ..even when the stark realities are starting you in the face .How do you hold on when hope cannot be grasped and slowly fades away as you watch?

So what really is it? and where do you find it, this hope? It seems to be hiding from most, so who hid it? why was it hidden? where can you go to get some, and once it’s found, where do you keep it so that it doesn’t become elusive and start this whole charade again?

Google says it is a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.

Also stumbled upon  a certain specialist in positive psychology known as Snyder  who even created a Hope Theory

He postulated  that for hopeful thinking to exist there must be a  goal , pathway thoughts ,agency thoughts and barriers.
Goal – being the wish or desire the thing one hopes for, the pathway thoughts are the various routes to take to achieve the goal, agency thoughts refer to the motivation to undertake the routes to achieve goal or the ability to instigate change and achieve the set goals. The barriers of course are self-explanatory , these hinder one from achieving the goal and it’s the point at which most would give up if they see no light at the end of the tunnel.

All these are factual ,however I feel they may be incomplete.

We all have had a desire for  one thing or the other and hoped to achieve it .Our thinking or beliefs  have also had a  major role to play in the process ,but the thinking that eventually carries the day is that which is anchored on something real, a solid belief , and a solid faith.

True hope is a strong and confident expectation ,and hope is intricately intertwined with faith. One cannot hope for something unless they have some faith.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see ,according to the Holy Bible  in Hebrews 11.In case you may be wondering the Holy Bible is a collection of books written by men ages ago ,but they were inspired by the Living God. So  everything in it is accurate.

There is also a trust worthy saying that deserves full acceptance…that we have put our hope in the Living God who is the savior of all men and especially of those who believe in him.

The  hope theory seems  ok ,until you get to the access thoughts part. What does one anchor their access thoughts on? You need an audaciously true and authentic fact to be your base ,a fact so real that others know it to be true and can testify of it , a fact so real that it’s a solid foundation to build your hope on. A solid rock to stand upon. For who is God, besides the LORD? And who is a rock, besides our God? 2 Samuel 22: 32 The Holy Bible still urges us to Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. He is the ultimate truth ,he is the sure foundation on which one can build their very life upon ,and  put their hopes  upon  and cast their  fears to.

The Bible says  with  regard to the certainty of God’s promise “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” Hebrews 6:19

Let us then hold on unswervingly to the hope we profess for HE who promised is faithful.