“Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues.” — Brother Lawrence
For most of my childhood, I lived in uncertainty. In three decades of my adult life, in prior marriages, I lived in abusive circumstances. The only hope I saw or experienced came from Christ living in my heart. No matter what happened, what I thought, how I felt, or how things looked, I knew that God would help me and deliver me one day, somehow in his way.
I knew if Jesus could endure the cross for me and come back to life, then he would help me. Choosing to trust Jesus and to trust God helped me experience living in Christ’s hope. Without trusting and loving them, living in unstoppable hope was not possible.
How to Receive the Hope of Christ
Although God created every person (Col 1:16) and God loves everyone (John 3:16), only the people who choose to receive Christ’s salvation are indeed the children of God and have the hope of Christ dwelling in them (1 John 3:1-10, John 1:12).
Salvation through Christ is the only way to have his hope. God’s word says:
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Rom 10:9-10)
Living in the Hope of Christ
When you choose to “be saved,” you are committing to learning how to become a disciple of Christ. You are responsible for learning what that means through God’s word, prayer, praise, and through Bible studies or with mature Christian mentors. As you learn your new “Christ-identity,” you will feel and live in his hope dwelling in you.
Because the love of Christ cannot be extinguished, neither can his hope, grace, mercy, revelation, healing, or blessings when you are walking hand in hand with him. During this pandemic of COVID-19, the children of God have an opportunity to share the hope of Christ with those who don’t know him, those who don’t know how to grow a close personal relationship with him or those who have rejected him until now.
A fundamental element of Christ’s love, which comes from our loving Father God, is the fact that they desire everyone to choose to dwell with them on this broken earth and into eternity. Jesus came that no one should perish. However, we must choose not only to receive Christ but to commit to letting him transform our minds, hearts, attitudes, words, and actions to mirror his.
Be the Light of Christ’s Hope
As we learn to live and love others through Christ’s love design, we will be the beacon in this viral storm to all people. Being children of God ensures us that this broken earth is not our eternal home. However, while we are here the purpose of every child of God and disciple of Christ is to make sure we show the struggling, the lost, or the imprisoned (in mind, spirit, or body) the love and hope of Christ. Peter, one of the closest friends of Jesus, tells us.
“Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We are reborn into a perfect inheritance that can never perish, never be defiled, and never diminish. It is promised and preserved forever in the heavenly realm for you!” (1 Pet 1:3-4 TPT)
Live in Christ’s love and hope and share it with others! To help you understand what it means to trust God, download your FREE ebook, How to Trust God NOW!
