Hope is the Difference Maker

At the New Year’s Eve Service from 2024 into 2025, the big word “Difference Makers” appeared on the screen at my church. It was declared that 2025 is the year of Difference Makers, and that’s indeed what struck this thought pattern in my mind. So, I have a question for you—one I believe I’ll answer in this blog today—what empowers a Difference Maker? And by reading the title of the blog, you’ll know…HOPE!

Lately, I’ve been sifting through scriptures. God has truly been speaking to me about so many things, especially when it comes to understanding what it means to have faith. Of course, I couldn’t be seeking to understand faith without going to the pronounced scripture of faith, Hebrews 11. I’d like to focus on Hebrews 11:1—

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

What is a Difference Maker?

For your understanding, I won’t focus on who a Difference Maker is; rather, what a Difference Maker is. A Difference Maker is something that creates an impact or change within its sphere of influence or dominion.

Why Hope?

Hope has the ability to create a grand impact and change in the life of a believer by influencing the sphere of their mind, will, emotions, and actions. Hope is like electricity. No light can be turned on without electricity. As a believer, your light shines, and your faith is fueled through hope. We need hope!

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16 MSG

Hope makes what you have faith in become a reality. No one has given birth to a dream without first incubating it in the womb of hope. For your faith to become a reality, you must have hope.

In communion with the Holy Spirit, I felt the impression that March is my month of hope. Every month, I set out with various goals and seek God concerning what my focus should be. As I was praying into this month, I loudly heard the word "hope," and as I continued to sift through the scriptures, this prompting was greatly confirmed. Since receiving this prompting, my perspective towards my life circumstances has changed. Do you know why? Because hope is a posture of the heart and mind.

A person devoid of hope is going nowhere. Their life begins to feel like a drag, living day by day with no perceived understanding of purpose, God, or direction. There’s no way to be a Spirit-filled believer and not live a faith-filled life infused with hope. Thus, it’s our responsibility to protect our hope NO MATTER WHAT!

What happens when you have Hope?

1. Your faith doesn’t waver when you face dark seasons.

   “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” – 1 Peter 5:10 NIV

2. You believe God beyond what you physically see.

   “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” – Ephesians 1:18 NIV

3. You encourage others to adopt a mindset of hope and faith in God. 

   “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” – Proverbs 12:25 NIV

The truth is that maintaining and growing in hope is not easy. It requires work—continuing to encourage yourself through the Word of God and in passionate prayer. But maintaining your hope is so rewarding when you finally see that which you’ve hoped for come to pass—whether it’s finally getting your own home, seeing your family member saved, landing your dream job, or anything else in your life. If you hold onto hope, surely what you’ve hoped for will come to pass.

Hope fuels our faith, and faith backs our works.

• “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6 NLT

• “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” – James 2:26 NLT

Hope is the key that unlocks the door to your faith, and faith is the empowerment you need to get to work. Although we are not justified in Christ by our works, we must act on the faith we have by going to work. The work I’m speaking of at this moment isn’t necessarily spiritual work—although this has a place in your pursuits as well—but it’s the work of obedience!

What dream have you been hoping for? What is it that God has called you to do? What has been on your list to accomplish year after year that you simply haven’t seen come to fruition?

Year after year, time after time, we make excuses as to why what we’ve been hoping for hasn’t come to pass. Perhaps discouragement, rejection, or uncertainty has gripped you. You’ve begun to believe that it’s not possible for what God has said over you or the dream He’s planted in your heart to come to pass because it’s been too long, you’re too far behind, or you’re delayed in the process. But I just wanted to encourage you that HOPE IS THE DIFFERENCE MAKER! The hope you hold onto will fuel the faith you need to back the works you’re required to do.

You need hope to start that business.You need hope to secure that job.You need hope to go back to school.You need hope to enter that relationship.You need hope to launch that ministry.

My dear friend, you need hope. It’s a requirement—not only for you but for God to use you as a conduit to birth His purposes on Earth, which will be a blessing for a generation unborn.

How do you build and protect your Hope?

1. Watch what you see

Certainly, this statement sounds like a paradox. Watch what you see… but it’s one of the most important things in building and protecting your hope. I need you to see differently. God needs you to see differently. What do I mean? Stop looking with your natural eye and look through the lens of hope. What prophetic word did God give you? What path has God ordained for you? Even when it seems like things aren’t adding up, I need you to see beyond the natural into the spiritual.

A great example of this is our Father in the faith, Abraham. Abraham received a word from the Lord concerning his promised child, Isaac. But that same promised child is the one God requested for Abraham to sacrifice. Do you know Abraham’s response? Only obedience! Abraham didn’t give excuses. He simply acted on what God told him, and he had a posture of assurance, knowing that God is faithful to His word.

There’s a brief passage of scripture from this story I’d like to highlight for you. I strongly encourage you to study the story for yourself as well.

“Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.” – Genesis 22:7-8 CSB

In this passage, Abraham preludes to the various ways God could reveal Himself. He saw his circumstances, yet He was asking God to show up as Jireh, His provider. He had hope that the God who blessed him with a child would make provisions for the sacrifice because he stood on the Word God gave him.

This makes me think of the profound hymn that says, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” Our hope must be in Christ and His Word. All other ground, every other word, and every other thing we see is sinking sand. That doctor’s report is sinking sand. That rejection email is sinking sand. That heartbreaking message you received is sinking sand. Those evil words that someone said to you are sinking sand. Every other word and every other perspective that isn’t of Christ is sinking sand.

In the words of Maverick City Music,

“Christ is my firm foundation,

The rock on which I stand,

When everything around me is shaken,

I've never been more glad,

That I put my faith in Jesus,

‘Cause He's never let me down.”

2. Monitor what you hear

It’s not every word that you hear that you must listen to. It’s not everything that someone says to you that you must believe.

Romans 10:17 NLT says, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

Our faith is built by what we hear, meaning our faith is discouraged by what we hear as well. Let me just add—your faith can diminish by what you aren’t hearing.

My dear brother or sister, what are you listening to? What has captivated your ears? Who is speaking into you?

One of the greatest places to cultivate a listening ear to God’s word is in the House of God. I know we are currently living in a generation that is wishy-washy in their beliefs concerning the church, but I’d like to affirm to you that it’s in your very best interest to be a part of a church home. You need to fellowship with other believers. You need pastors to pray over you and speak into your life. Your destiny is too great to journey toward alone. You need people in your life, often best found at church, who can serve as guiding voices and encouragers on this faith journey. They will certainly help you grow in hope!

When you hear the Word of God Sunday after Sunday from the pulpit, attend Bible studies, and participate in corporate prayers, there’s absolutely no way for you to remain the same. You will be transformed! Your hope will increase! Your faith will work!

Also, practically speaking, feed on God’s Word by reading and speaking it out loud. God’s Word is nourishment to our souls and builds our hope in Him.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8 NIV

3. Guard what you speak

Here’s a revelation—your mouth needs a guard!

Psalm 141:3 TPT says, “God, give me grace to guard my lips from speaking what is wrong.”

One of the most well-known, yet often overlooked scriptures in the Bible is: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21 NIV

We all know this scripture, and yet we struggle so badly to live it out—myself included. You must guard your mouth. Interestingly, God has made it our responsibility to watch what we speak.

You may want to pray, like in the Psalm, “God, give me the grace to guard my lips from speaking what is wrong!” And I’d add, “God, give me the grace to speak what is right, holy, and good in abundance!”

Sometimes, not speaking a good thing can get you in as much trouble as always speaking a bad thing. You give wheels to your hope when you begin to speak what you believe to be true according to the Word of God.

You may be struggling now, but what happens when you speak of wealth and abundance rather than poverty and scarcity? You may be single now, but what happens when you speak of a loving relationship and godly marriage rather than complaining about the woes of singleness? Your business may be small now, but what happens when you speak of growth and prosperity rather than smallness and lack?

Sooner or later, your life circumstances will catch up to your words. So much so, it’ll be like you’re living a dream!

Your hope is fuel because the evidence of your faith is found in what you give your eyes, ears, and mouth to. I know where you’ll be in the next five years by what you view and listen to. I know how prosperous you’ll end up by the prophecies you speak over your life every day. Receive this as a loving conviction—watch yourself! You may be the one dimming your hope and diminishing your faith without even realizing it. It’s not Satan—it’s you…

Ready, Set, Action!

Now that we have hope down, it’s time for you to get to work! What you are hoping for won’t just come to you.

A famous saying goes, “Success is when preparation meets opportunity.”

I know you’re believing in God for the opportunity, but what have you done to prepare?

You cannot hope for a house when your room isn’t clean. You cannot hope for God to promote you at work when you waste your hours on the job. You cannot hope to grow in ministry while you attend church late and fail to serve with a heart of gladness. You must get to work!

Dare I say, you may be failing to see the tangible evidence of your hope because God can’t trust your work ethic yet…

Whatever it is that you are hoping in God for will come with greater responsibility and sacrifice. There’s no blessing you can receive that won’t require your work to maintain. This is the principle of stewardship.

How are you stewarding what God has put in your hands now? Are you a poor steward?

We live in a generation that encourages us to “manifest” our dreams rather than truly work for them. Now, let me not say that work disqualifies grace. Certainly, it does not. But the two will always work hand in hand. What good is it for God to bless you with a job that you get fired from a few months later due to your lack of integrity? Or for God to bless you with a car that ends your life due to reckless driving? 

Maybe, your work is more inner than outer. Perhaps, in this season, your work may be in building your hope by reading the Word consistently and surrounding yourself with the Godly community. Or perhaps your work is building your credit and investigating how to start a business. Whatever your work may be, start doing it! You’ll never see success if you don’t begin working. Maybe God is just waiting on you to bust a move so His grace can meet you at the point of your need and become all-sufficiency.

It’s true, the dream God has placed in your heart is much bigger than you. That prophetic word you received is far too grand for someone like you. It’s hard to believe that you’ll ever be greater than you are now. But the grandness of your calling, prophecy, or dream isn’t an excuse not to begin. It’s not an excuse to fear or cower. The magnitude of your destiny should draw you closer to the One who holds your life in His hands. He knows how to orchestrate your story in such a way that will make everyone wonder.

I personally want you to know that you are a Difference Maker in the making. This process isn’t easy, but hope is your fuel, and faith works. Keep trusting and know that He who began this work in you will certainly, without fail, complete it unto His glory!

“‘Yes indeed, it won’t be long now.” God’s Decree. “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I’ll make everything right again for my people Israel: “They’ll rebuild their ruined cities. They’ll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They’ll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I’ll plant them, plant them on their own land. They’ll never again be uprooted from the land I’ve given them.” God, your God, says so.” – Amos 9:13-15 MSG