Hope - Part Two (4) Hope is a Mindset

I hope you remember the previous three posts, because they are necessary for this next one. 

As a reminder, they went in this order

1) Christ is our Hope

2) We Have Hope Through The Encouragement of the Scriptures

3) Hope Springs into Being Prepared and Purified

Now, we're on number four, which is that Hope is a mindset. It's not going to be as long, but it's necessary nonetheless. :) Besides, sometimes shorter posts are better, right? 

Hope is not something that you "feel" in that feathery fluff sense. 

1 Thessalonians 5:8 - "But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation."

This is something I noticed when I read this verse: our helmet (what protects our head, our mind) is the hope of salvation. Hope! Faith and love protect our heart, hope protects our mind! Isn't that something awesome? 

We can think things through with the hope that God's word is true. We can move forward in life in the hope that God will provide for us. We can speak out for God in the hope that we will glorify Him. The list goes on! 

Many of our actions stem from thoughts, and many of our thoughts are grounded in hope. 

1 Peter 1:13 - "Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Hope has to do with the mindset. We hope for things that will be brought to us, therefore, what we do is determined by this knowledge. Do we strive to do great things for Christ? Do we glorify His name every moment? 

Lamentations 3:19-24 - "Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.""

Here are some practical applications I will leave you with:

1) Call to mind the promises of Christ. Doing such a thing is a counter to depression and worry. Call to your mind the steadfast love of the Lord; call to mind His endless mercy; call to mind that Christ Jesus died for you, loves you, and is your Lord and Saviour. These will give you hope, and renew your mind. 

2) Make a point of hoping in the Lord. I don't really think it comes easily. We are fickle creatures who easily fall away from faith and hope, turning instead to worry. Don't do it! Hope in the Lord. He is your portion.