Sharing Hope

Some years ago, my daughter’s phone ran out of battery when we were out for the day.  My phone was almost fully charged, and she wished there was a way to borrow some of my battery power.  Lo! and behold!  Since then the tech companies have devised such a feature so that you can share battery power between cell phones!  Isn’t technology amazing?!

We all need a boost of power at some time or another – not just for our phones, but for our lives.  Yet others are carrying around a surplus of power that begs to be shared.  It helps to remember that if we have relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we are connected to an eternal power source.  We are “plugged” into the One who holds us – and everything in the universe – together by His strength, wisdom, and will.  “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Therefore, we go through our days with this inherent power, even when we aren’t aware of it or even feel like it.  As believers, we have access to a daily hope of the loving and sustaining power of God at work in our lives.  What an amazing gift this is, and it is ours to share!  

From what I have seen from the advertisements, sharing power between cell phones requires the two phones to be placed next to each other.  In a similar way, sharing the power of  our hope happens best as we live with faith in proximity to others.  Yes, there may be a place for pulpit or even street corner preaching, but the substance of our everyday lives – the faith, peace, love, joy, and rest – can be a powerful display of hope to those around us.  This is strikingly different from what the world offers and is what every person longs for – power to move through life well, even in the face of struggles, trials, and setbacks. 

The faith-filled life is beautiful and attractive.  It points to heaven and reveals the goodness of God, sometimes without a word being spoken.  But even more so, we can transfer a measure of our hope to someone who needs it when we share our story.  We release the power of hope when we tell others about the goodness of God – how He came through for us, when He rescued us, what He provided for us.  Hearing what He has done in our lives imparts hope to someone else for what He can do for them.  Our hope-filled testimony may encourage a friend or a family member, or even another believer who has lost sight of their hope.  

In Samaria, a woman found hope in Jesus when going to the well for water.  She told the people she knew and many in her village also received this hope (John 4:1-42).  In a region of ten cities, Jesus healed a demonized man, and out of his heart of thanksgiving, the man told everyone what Jesus had done for him. Scripture records that “all the people were amazed” (Mark 5:1-20). Surely, their hope rose when they heard that God could do such a thing!

Sharing your hope isn’t a guarantee that God will do the exact same thing for someone else.  But it is a testament to His active presence in your life and to His love, goodness, and power.  It is a way of saying, “God showed up for me, and He can show up for you, too.”  Those kinds of stories impart hope.

So let’s not be shy, Dear One, about living our faith openly and authentically.  And may you “always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).  In this way, you can share the power of your hope with someone who also needs it.

A Prayer: 

Lord God, thank You for the hope that You have placed in my heart and for the story that I have of Your love and faithfulness.  Please help me to share hope with the people around me.  And if I have lost sight of my hope, please send someone to share some of theirs with me.

All to Your glory!

Amen.

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