Finding hope when change comes

I’ve been thinking a lot about change this week. Change has been stalking me. Can you relate? Maybe you’ve lived in the same place your whole life. Or maybe you’ve forgotten more zip codes, addresses, and area codes than most will ever see. The truth is…not one of us knows what tomorrow holds.

And for some, uncertainty like that opens the door to a familiar face—worry.

Worry sneaks up on you at first. Over time, worry can become a constant companion; it’s always right beside you, when the stakes are high. After a while, no difficult situation feels complete without…worry.

I used to feel like worry was part of my daily to-do list, that anything worth caring about was worth worrying about. But living that way is a lie.

Getting comfortable with worry in your life will fool you into thinking that uncertainty is a permanent condition. You may start to believe that no one—no One—not even God, knows how your difficulty will resolve, where your pain will end, or how long till your broken relationship is reconciled. And that is just not true.

Worry tells us something has been overlooked. Anxiety says important details have been neglected. Fear screams that even God can’t help, or doesn’t want to…

It’s easier to give way to worry than to cling tightly to hope. It takes strength and courage to refuse to entertain darkness. [tweetthis]It takes strength and courage to refuse to entertain darkness. #Hope #HopeNotes #GodsBestintheMess[/tweetthis] More than that, it takes Truth.

The way away from a life of worry, and back to a life of hope, is Truth.  [tweetthis]The way away from a life of worry, and back to a life of hope, is Truth. #Hope #HopeNotes[/tweetthis]

Truth: God knows His children by heart (Psalm 139:23). He loves them with an everlasting love and He never leaves them (Jeremiah 31:3). The Father carefully watches over His little ones (Psalm 23). He always has and always will (Malachi 3:6).

Truth: The Lord is wisdom itself (Colossians 2:3). He is able to accomplish His plans for those He loves (Romans 8:28). In fact, it is impossible for Him to fail (Luke 1:37). His purpose for us has eternal significance and will bring ultimate good (Ephesians 1:11-14). He is even better than we know (1 Corinthians 2:8-10).

This has been a #HopeNote. I’m writing what I need to hear. I’d love to see your hope notes too—leave a comment or send me an email, if you’ve got some hope to share! Let’s grow hope, together. 🙂