The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

A new year is always a time for reflection. During December, I heard the word hope many times and realized I needed to renew my hope. Life is hard, and sometimes depression tells us the future is bleak. Listening to politics never mentions how the future looks bright! I was challenged by an article I read to eavesdrop on conversations around me and see how many of them had hope in the tone of their conversation. And to be honest, that day, there was none.

I hope those who read this paper realize that I am a Christian; if not, let me clarify it. I am. I don’t believe in Christ because of the Christians around me; if I judge Jesus by people, I’d never believe, but I believe in Jesus because of who he is. He is not a belief system. He is alive and real, a powerful Prescence in my life. Because of this, I knew it was time to renew my hope.

In the Bible, hope is a strong and confident expectation of what God has promised, and its strength is in His faithfulness, not mine. “It makes me cringe when I hear a fellow Christian say there’s no hope for our country. The first thing that pops into my mind is where’s their faith? Are they lip-service Christians?” There is no need to live in frustration and fear. Hope comes from living the experience.

So many people live with no hope simply because they don’t trust people or themselves, and that’s all they have.

Others have hope, but it is tied to other things like a job, a relationship, or even the belief that they are capable of success purely on their own power. And that is false hope. False hope is self-sufficient. It’s the hope that those with addictions can overcome it by pure willpower. It’s the hope that those who have been abused think healing isn’t necessary. You can bury your pain, and it’s gone. It’s the belief that if we do something wrong and no one will find out, the problem won’t come up again. When you are 70, you know that kind of hope fails. And that’s the problem because we can’t live without hope. It becomes all so meaningless. We wake up each morning hoping for sunshine, a smile, meaning, or happiness. Life needs hope. What is it we have if we don’t have hope?

True hope comes from a powerful being-Jesus. One that can alter thoughts and emotions. A presence that lifts, encourages, and empowers actions. This new year, I will surrender the thoughts, the false hope, that drags me down and be renewed in my mind. Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”