Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Proverbs 17:22 – A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Have you ever met a stereotypical “Debbie Downer”? This is someone who never has anything good to say about anything or anyone? We’ve probably all met an individual who fits this description at some point in our lives. …. And, if we were honest with ourselves, we’ve probably been “that person” a few times as well! It’s so easy to hold onto the negative. I met a woman of advanced age at my dad’s nursing home who was completely bedridden. She spent her days mostly in her room reading, watching nature from her window, and enjoying treasured television shows from decades past. I marveled at her positivity, and even joy, as she navigated her day. There were certainly activities in which she could have participated, but she seemed to genuinely enjoy her solitude. I think of her when I want to whine about the challenges of life! This advanced-age wise woman would tell me that God is teaching her patience and fortitude, and that her job is to quietly embrace the joys and blessings she can find in each day. Her example means much to me!
As I perused verses in the Bible regarding a positive spirit, this verse from Romans stuck with me. God himself is a divine being of HOPE, and from that hope flows our joy and peace. By walking with God through each day, the Holy Spirit infuses us with hope – to the point of overflow. Wow! To be honest, I don’t know if I’ve ever overflowed with hope about any given situation in my life! How does one transition from focusing on the negative to dwelling in hope? Perhaps by shifting our focus away from everything that is wrong in our lives to acknowledging the blessings that we possess. We all hold hurts, betrayals, and injustices within the fabric of our lives, and it is so easy to fall into the habit of mentally listing every slight and hurt that has ever been hurled our way.
Dear Lord, we are a hurting people, living in a hurting world. How do we handle our personal – and global – pain? The news fills us with anguish and injustice, and then we look to our own lives and personal dramas with resignation and anxiety. As the book of Proverbs puts it, our crushed spirit dries up our bones! May your Holy Spirit infuse us with a love for others and an overflowing hope for ourselves and our world. May we gather energy from your Spirit to make a difference where we can, and leave to prayer what is beyond our hands to fix.
Blessings to you as we head into a hopeful season of spring!
Diana
Recent Comments