Thinking Hope

Over the past couple of days we have looked at the need to “See Hope” and “Speak hope” but we also need to “Think Hope”. This is part of the transformative work of the Holy Spirit that makes us ready to be partakers of the next great move of God. How do we do that?

Well one thing for sure is that we are being constantly bombarded with anything but hope through television, newspapers, radio, the internet and all the rest.

Here’s my point. Most of what we are told today does not sow hope into our lives so if those are your sources for ‘seed’ don’t be surprised if you do not reap hope from that steady diet of despair and bad news.

But there is a place where we can feast on ‘hope food” and Good News!     

I Thessalonians 5:6-8 tells us:

“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

Dumb question here – what part of your body do you protect with a helmet?

Your head, your brain, your mind.

So we are to put on the ‘hope of salvation’ like a helmet to protect our mind. Let me call the mind our ‘thought factory’. We need hope to protect our thought life. We need to think hope and not just in a milk toast, bland sort of way but with “…hope of salvation…” as a helmet. Our thought life needs to be immersed in Christ and what He has done for us.

What does the scripture declare? “…Christ in you, the HOPE of glory.

That is a wonderful hope to protect your ‘thought factory with isn’t it?

Listen to this admonition from Philippians 4:8,9

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

What a wonderful thought life we are supposed to have and it is all capped off or protected by the hope of salvation as a helmet.

So how many want that endurance that comes from ‘Seeing hope’, ‘speaking hope’ and ‘thinking hope’ so that you might be His messengers of hope?