The Power of Hope
Last weekend the ‘Euros’ kicked off, much to the delight of all football fans! Formally known as the UEFA European Football Championship, it is a major tournament!
24 international teams battle it out over a month to become the European champions and claim the trophy! Thousands of fans watch the games either live or on TV, cheering on their national team!
As somebody who has never been interested in football, I don’t follow what goes on at all. I heard that last Sunday, England had their first game, but I had no idea who it was against!
What I observe, and admire, is how so many people support the home team. On Sunday I spotted some English flags draped outside homes, people wearing England’s football top, and a local pub garden was packed as it showed the game on a large outdoor screen.
The word I would use to capture this ‘football fever’ is hope. The fans wish and desire is for the players to deliver and to become the champions!
Hope is a powerful thing! It generates energy and motivates. When things get tough, hope is a light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Hope is inspirational, it says ‘keep going’!
Hope is used a lot in the Bible too. It is ‘the confident expectation of what God has promised, and its strength is in His faithfulness.’ In other words, this kind of hope is rooted in what God has already done!
One of Jesus’ original disciples, Peter, was transformed from a clumsy, outspoken young man into a caring, mature senior leader in the early church. In one of his letters in the New Testament he wrote…
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.”
Christian hope is far more than a strong desire or wish for something better. It is a sure thing, because it is based on what God has done.
For over two thousand years this hope been the engine room for countless Christians. It has put faith into action and seen the church grow and be a force for good all over the world. It is still happening today!
If you have this hope in you, fantastic! May it continue to empower and motivate you. If you don’t have it, and want to, let me encourage you to seek it out. Why not contact me?
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader