Hope Wins

Hope.

It’s what the world is craving, maybe now more than ever. People are turning to the internet, social media, and news outlets, searching for answers. Searching for hope.

We who call ourselves followers of Jesus don’t just have any hope; we have THE hope. And what are we to do with this good news? Share it.

Go and announce the good news of the resurrected Christ to a world without hope. Be salt and light. Live and love in a way that reflects our Savior.

But what does that look like these days? When many are struggling with fear, anxiety, confusion, anger… How do we live differently?

Strong. Trustworthy. Anchored.

Does anyone else need an anchor for their soul these days?

I know I do. And from the looks of it, there’s a lot of people–in our neighborhoods, businesses, cities, and families–who are looking for an anchor too. The world is looking for real hope. A hope that can stand up to the wobbliness of our world.

The good news is that this hope I’m talking about isn’t some pie in the sky, let’s just skip through the daffodils and act like nothing’s wrong load of denial.

Hope is how you face the trials of your day head on.

It’s what allows us to be honest in the struggle.

It’s okay to be sad or confused. That doesn’t mean you’re weak or somehow that you’ve lost your faith. It’s okay to cry. Tears of sadness, gratitude, loss, or frustration. It’s ok to laugh and make new memories. That doesn’t mean you’re ignorant to what’s happening in the world.

We can live in the tension of having hope and still not having all the answers.

In those moments of honesty, there is a resilient hope too.  We are reminded again and again that this isn’t the end.

Christian Hope declares this is not the end of the story. It’s not the end of your story. Not even death has the final say. God does.

There isn’t a three-step formula or a magic set of words you say or an intellectual code you crack.  It’s much more personal than that. You admit that you need Jesus—not just with this storm, but with the rest of your life and what will come after this life. You cling to your Savior.

This hope of a future with God stretches into eternity, but it’s also the hope with which we face today.

So, in these days full of uncertainty, I’m going to ask you to do something outrageously simple and beautiful and powerful. In a tangible way, share hope. Let’s remind our friends and neighbors that they aren’t alone, that darkness doesn’t win, and this is not the end.

Check your closets, art supply boxes, and garage shelves (don’t go shopping). Grab some sidewalk chalk, paint, old sheets, cardboard, plywood, paper, glue… and declare that HOPE WINS.

Display this phrase on signs and driveways, on t-shirts and mailboxes. May it encourage others and remind them that hope endures.  But more importantly, may it stir up a conversation. May we have the opportunity in the days to share the source of our hope–Jesus.

For some this might seem small or insignificant. But remember, even the smallish moments of your life can start chain reactions of grace and goodness in unpredictable but far-reaching ways.

Hope Wins.