Hope

Many people are talking about this word these days. Hope, exactly what does it mean? Well here are some definitions to get us thinking. Hope is to wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment, or a wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment. So how often do you hope? I do believe that hope is crucial if we are going to be complete, fulfilled human beings and Christians. To hope for something does not mean to just wish it to be true. It actually means to be confident that what you are wishing for will come true. It is that inner knowing (that I have written about in a previous post) that it will happen. Paul himself wrote in the book of Acts:

I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side. I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I've pitched my tent in the land of hope. I know you'll never dump me in Hades; I'll never even smell the stench of death. You've got my feet on the life-path, with your face shining sun-joy all around. Acts 2:22

Wow! Where have you pitched your tent? To pitch it in the land of hope would mean that there is no way someone could make you think or believe anything other that what you know. When we begin to think this way the things we hope for happen. In psychology we call it a self fulfilling prophecy. You see you think that people will not like you so you are quiet around people, even though you want to get to know others. You tell yourself you are just shy or scared and that people will approach you. However, what happens is that people do not approach you because you do look shy or scared and people talk to the ones who approach them. You begin to believe that people are not fair and that they are mean. So you begin with the thought that you want to meet others, but you could never do that - and guess what - that is what comes to pass. You fulfill it.

Hope is something different. It is acting on the knowing that what you wish to come try will. When you think like this you begin to act on the belief and the knowing. You might that it is hard to get to know people, but you hope - or know - that you can so you step out and approach people. Guess what happens - they talk to you and like you. This can be applied to most every area of our life. Hope gets us to act. Hope gets us to believe and know. Hope is where we should pitch our tent! Hope today and know that what you wish for will come true and act on that belief.

Namaste'