Hope Is...

What is hope? Paul McAlister defines hope as "an expectation or belief in the fulfillment of something desired." [1] This tells us two aspects of hope: first, it is related to belief or faith, and second, it is ones desires or one's character. Therefore, hope is very much rooted in Christian faith and character. The concept of hope is ubiquitous throughout the Scripture, for this is a book that brings hope to the readers. I would like to focus on a few verses and a small part of my testimony to explain that the Christian life is worthless if we do not know and believe in the object of our hope - the Lord Jesus Christ. A life without hope is not worth living.

HOPE AS A CHARACTER

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul indicated that 'faith, hope, and love' remain, as part of our character. Elsewhere, Paul points out that faith and love spring from hope (Colossians 1:5) and this hope that shapes our character and faith, come from God (Romans 15:13). Thus, God begins shaping our character the moment we put our hope in Him.

MY TESTIMONY

As a semi-orphan, I was raised in an orphanage. Since I was the tiniest in the orphanage, there were those who loved me, and those who abused and bullied me. I was a boy who had no one to love except my mother, who visited me at least once every three months. I was not the smartest in school and so my grades were not the best. All I knew at that time was that I had no hope of ever becoming successful. Though a Roman Catholic organization ran the orphanage, I never knew God personally, only through stories of Mary and Joseph during the Christmas seasons and the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter.

HOPE AS FAITH

It was after the fourth grade that I was introduced to Jesus by one of my relatives. As a boy with not very good comprehension; it was not very influential. At this time, a pastor who pastored the local church where my relatives attended came to visit me. Before he left the house, he laid his hand on me and prayed. After this, I went back to another orphanage, ran by a Pentecostal denomination in South Asia. By this time, I was in the seventh grade. One evening, a visitor to the orphanage brought a few copies of the New Testament and distributed them to the children. One of the copies was given to me, which I slowly began to read. In my early teenage years, I was not a good individual due to the rejection, abuse and bullying I had experienced, but when I began reading the New Testament, it gave me a fresh perspective on my life. When I reached the passage of Matthew 11:28-30, I felt like Jesus was lovingly inviting me to Him.

I was deeply moved and continued reading the New Testament. I did not know what to do next. One day when I was reading, I came upon Romans 10:9. With my tearful eyes and moving heart, I bowed down in my room, secretly accepting Christ as my Lord and Saviour, as I repeated this verse I had just read - since I did not know how to pray and what to pray in that moment. This initial rebirth brought about a significant change in my character and my faith in God. The hope I never knew sprung in my heart by God's word and the Holy Spirit and I continued reading the Scriptures. This change in me gave me a new perspective on faith and love. I began loving, caring for, and respecting others especially my teachers. Christ began a good work in me. My faith in the Lord began to grow, and I began to pray for my own needs and for the needs of others early every morning when the Holy Spirit woke me up during my time at the orphanage. Now I know that I am not a hopeless person anymore, for Jesus is my hope - my hope is in Jesus (1 Timothy 1:1). I know Him personally; He walks with me, talks with me, loves me, even when I miss the mark! I have someone to talk to and share everything with.

Even though I have gone through many challenging situations in my life, it is the hope in Jesus that God placed in my heart that has sustained me. Remember, this hope is implanted in us by God. The Bible says in Isaiah 40:31, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (NIV). Now I know my Christian life is worth living!

May this Christmas bring you great hope - a hope that never fails and in all who seek meaning in their lives.

Shared from the heart of a Mission Canada worker who desires who found their hope in Christ Jesus.