This morning I read the term, “Scary Hope” and decided to ponder that a while.
From time to time in life, we might be asked by God or by our circumstances to take a risk and step out in faith. Those are the times we find out how deep our integrity is rooted and how strong our character really is.
These character-building risks might include some of the following:
• A mission trip to a foreign country
• Finding the finances to support that mission trip
• Writing a book and sending it to a publisher
• Dealing with a stronghold that has had a “strong hold” on us for a lifetime
• Giving up something we dearly love so that we can love God more – TV / sugar / romance novels
• You fill in the blank with whatever causes scary hope in your life __________________________
After taking that risk and/or making that decision, we often discover new character in ourselves. We now recognize the real person in the mirror – the woman God made us to be. We step closer toward that Jeremiah 29:11 plan that God has for us and to our amazement – we find joy.
The scary part of hope is when we think we might fail. We hate failure and everything it conjures up in our emotions. The response to failure is easy – depression, rejection, giving up.
But more often, we are afraid of success. With a successful venture, we have to stretch beyond what we can ask or think and trust God to fill in the gaps.
The response to success requires more strength, more confidence and even more faith.
Imagine what we could do in life if we stepped boldly toward success. Now that’s scary hope.
~ Rebecca Thesman