Hope Overflow
"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." – Romans 15:13
This morning, Romans 15:13 is the scripture that I studied, and the two words that came to mind are "Hope Overflow." To some extent, I believe most Christians live in hope depletion. I'd say the definition of hope is to wait in expectation because you're confident in the One who has promised you. Hope isn't separate from joy and peace; all three of these, hope, joy, and peace, work synonymously with the Holy Spirit in us. So my question to you today is, where has your hope escaped to?
Hope, peace, and joy escape us, yet we fail to notice until the moment they're gone.
Signs that You're Living in Hope Depletion
You are irritated often, especially when things don't go your way
You are struggling to connect with God intimately
You are complaining more than you're praising
You feel like you're on an emotional rollercoaster
You are struggling to open up, or you're constantly oversharing
You feel like God has abandoned you
You no longer enjoy the things, people, or work that you used to
You are always wondering what would make your life better or make you feel happier
The signs of hope depletion are clear because they have something in common – it's all about you and based on temporary feelings or struggles. You know your hope is draining when your only focus is on you and the present. But here's the thing about your Christian walk and living for Him, it's BIGGER than YOU! Our existence isn't to please ourselves but to glorify our Heavenly Father.
When you fail to realize life is about more than how you feel and what you're going through, hope depletion is inevitable.
Hope overflows when you understand who your source is. The scripture above, Romans 15:13, clearly says, "God, the source of hope, will fill you…" Of course, there are more words than that, which we will get to, but one of the most powerful statements is what I just highlighted. The source of your hope is God. Literally, God is the hope dealer. God is the hope supplier. There is no hope apart from Him!
Hope begins with this statement: God, my hope is in YOU! Hope starts with Jesus Christ. There's no other way.
Have you ever heard fear is just misdirected faith or hope? When you lose hope, fear settles in. Fear has a way of making your heart it's home once hope has escaped. Hope can fill you, but so can fear. What has been overflowing in you lately?
God created us, His Children, to live in Hope Overflow. He destined us to reside where hope, joy, and peace are abundant. God designed us to live and handle life situations from the mindset of abundance. I can't lack when I have hope. I can't lose when I have hope. Hope is the secret ingredient to navigating challenging situations and succeeding victoriously. Dare I add, it's harder to sin when you have hope.
Think about it… the reason you ended up with that guy you weren't supposed to be with in the first place was that you were afraid there was no good man for you, and marriage felt impossible. Or perhaps you picked up a second job that requires you to work on Sundays because you were afraid you couldn't make enough money to afford all your bills the next month. These are just two examples, but if we were to review our lives thoroughly, we'd find that many of our decisions are fueled by fear.
Earlier this year, I remember saying, "Hope feels dangerous." And the response I received was, "No, to not have hope is dangerous." This brief statement has stuck with me every day since. Why do we believe it's better to rely on our instincts, fears, and ideas to guide us to a destination only God knows? You didn’t make you, so why do you think you know yourself better than your creator? God knows what you need, and simply put, we need more of Him! More of His divine supply – His Hope.
"I have told you all this so you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." – John 16:33
Jesus clearly told us that trials and sorrows are inevitable. They are simply part of the recipe for living life on earth. However, Jesus stated that He's telling us these things in advance so our hope would remain in Him. The entire Bible is an invitation to hope in Jesus Christ because salvation works in partnership with hope. When we make that public declaration in front of a community of Believers, we're saying I believe, and therefore, I will hope in you every day of my life. When life is shaky, your foundation of hope shouldn't be.
"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later." – Romans 8:18
Romans 8:18 is the promise we hold onto. This scripture is the reason we hold onto our hope in Jesus Christ. But you have to trust first. I believe that God can overflow in us when we begin to trust Him.
Today, I'm writing this blog post as an invitation to you to take your hands off the very thing God is handling on your behalf. What have you been holding on so tightly to in an attempt to figure it out yourself? What situation has kept you up at night tossing and turning? God wants you to trust Him with it. Because, as the scripture says, the source of hope will fill you completely with joy and peace due to your trust in Him.
There is more to God than you've known so far. This season, I believe God wants to reintroduce Himself to us as the God of Hope. He's the One we can trust in to fill us abundantly with His sweet joy and peace.
You know you've got your hope back when you begin to dream again! Hope-filled people are dreamers. Hope-filled people help others realize the sovereignty of their Lord. Hope-filled people walk light because their burdens are cast on the only one who can uphold and resolve them. Hope-filled people live with overflowing joy and peace.
Today, I dare you to hope again.
This is my prayer for you – that you may become a hope-filled individual!
May God grant you the strength you've lost due to your last disappointment. May He remind you of the sweetness solely trusting in Him gives. In this season, may He be the God of Hope to you. May your hope overflow, your laughter be contagious, and your peace be abundant. I pray you wake up in joy and that it's sustained even through your hardest days. May you begin to speak the language of hope again! May fear be evicted from the confines of your heart, and hope make your heart its dwelling place. I ask that the Holy Spirit minister to you the comforting words you need to hear in your now and remind you that He's present always. In Jesus' Name, Amen!
Your hope is revived, so live like it! The final words I'll leave with you are lyrics from one of my favorite songs:
"I've still got joy in chaos
I've got peace that makes no sense
I won't be going under
I'm not held by my own strength
'Cause I've built my life on Jesus
He's never let me down
He's faithful through every season
So why would He fail now?"
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