Core Virtue :: HOPE

I can cope with the hardships of life and with death because of the hope I have in Jesus Christ.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:19-20

Great ancient civilizations often used the metaphor of an anchor, but only here do we find it in the New Testament. A ship that is firmly anchored is safe from drifting idly in the ocean - position and safety are secure. For the Christ-follower, our hope is a stabilizing force in our lives. Hope is not simply wishful thinking, like "I hope the Astros can win a game against the Rangers." This hope that the writer of Hebrews is referring to is the hope of a re-established relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus. This hope is as real to us as the promise of God was for the Jews. The hope/promise of a new relationship with the God of all gods is the hope that allows us to cope with the hardships of life and with death.

Over the past year, we have buried two grandmothers, a friend's father, and a friend's unborn baby. Death is on thing that has the tendency to strip us of our hope for tomorrow. Normally this only lasts for a while, but in extreme cases hope can be lost for much longer and can become debilitating. When I was in high school, I had a good friend lose her grandfather. She was close to him and was taking the loss very hard. One night, I took her out to our local hospital, and we went to the nursery. We spent about half an hour watching the babies move wiggle and cry and sleep. When one life ends on this earth, there is inevitably one new life beginning. I told her that there is no place where we see more hope than in newborn babies. For those of us trying to find hope in the darkness of real life, hope is the light that lets us really see. The same is true for the hardships of life.

What coping mechanisms do you use to get through dark days of real life? Are you letting the sacrifice of Jesus be the anchor that your drift-prone soul needs?

Other competencies related to Hope :: Salvation by Grace, Personal God, Giving Away My Life

KidsKreed :: I am trusting that with God the best is yet to come!

Talk to your kids about God being in control. Ask them questions about what things worry them and how that makes them feel. Assure them that Jesus cares about them and our hope is in Him, not in the circumstances we find ourselves. We are not going to be okay because things are good in our life, and we are not going to die because things are not good in our life. In spite of the circumstances, God is in control and we can trust that.