Advent: Hope
Advent (noun):
-The arrival of a notable person, thing or event
-The first season of the Christmas church year, leading up to Christmas and including four preceding Sundays
This is Advent season. The season of hope as we anticipate the birth of Jesus.
When I was at my lowest, I made it worse by putting pressure on my faith.
My mom hugged me and said, “Faith is important, but so is hope.”
At first, I wasn’t receptive to this, but I found myself questioning what hope was to me and how it applied to my faith.
Now, I get it.
I’ve worked my way through a season of spiritual growth, healing and forgiveness and while I was there, hope hit me smack dab in the face.
Hope: (noun)
-To cherish a desire with anticipation
-To want something to happen or be true
-To expect with confidence; trust
I think each of us should find a personal definition of hope. My definition would include trust, patience, desire and positivity. Faith may be my foundation, but it would go nowhere without my hope (as I have seen in my season of growth and healing).
Ask yourself these questions:
-Why is hope important to my faith?
-Where do I place my hope? My trust?
-What do I desire? Does Jesus desire this for me as well?
I desired to be happy, positive and full of faith.
I couldn’t get to where I wanted to be in my faith journey without having some patience with myself and hope that I would get there. So I trusted in myself and in Jesus to get me there.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
Think about the hope Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the Three Kings must have had when the Angel Gabriel came to them and gave them the good news about Jesus. WOW.
What are you hoping for? Place your hopes in His hands.