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The Process of Building Hope

             Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

        Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (I Corinthians 13:4-8)

         And finally, the second use of the word “hope.” This section of the text describes the process involved in developing one’s ability to hope. First, things have to be other than as we want them. Next, we have to not die, either physically or psychologically. Physical death is fairly easy to identify, but psychological death can be subtle. A major form is denial. If we refuse to deal with reality, we kill ourselves little by little, day after day. It doesn’t matter whether we pretend that nothing is wrong or we pretend that we can’t do anything until or unless circumstances change in our favor. It’s still a form of death and if we’re dead, there’s no means or reason to develop hope.  o not give up in other ways. That, in turn, develops a habit of survival. It becomes part of one’s internal make up. In other words, survival builds the character traits necessary for survival, meaning that we reason to hope – because God has brought us through (His side) and we have persevered (our side) before and there is at least the possibility that He and we will do so again.

            The other passage above also mentions perseverance and hope. They are characteristics of love. We can’t love effectively if we’re dead – if we can’t persevere through hard times with an eye toward something better ahead.

 

 

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