Refilling Our Hearts with Hope

Marriage starts with hope. Parenting begins with hope. New jobs start with hope. Most new commitments are filled with hope. Hope is full of anticipation. It’s an expectation of something favorable in our future. Hope calls us to move forward. Hope also gives us reason to be patient. Hope fills us with warmth and encourages us to look beyond our current circumstances. Hope keeps our attitude positive. Hope energizes and comforts us.

In Scripture, hope most often means to trust and wait expectantly.

But hope cannot be casually contained. Marriages grow stale or distant without effort. Parenting is hard. Work gets old. As we navigate our day-to-day schedules, as the busyness of our to-do lists consumes our focus, hope leaks out of our marriages, homes, and jobs. We get stuck in the here and now. We get discouraged by other people’s choices, being upside down financially, our own foolishness, habits that can’t seem to be broken, the diagnosis we never wanted to hear, inconceivable losses, and countless other circumstances beyond our control.

As the warmth of hope drains, our hearts are left empty, damp, and cold. Hopeless hearts are easily discouraged. Hopelessness leaves us vulnerable to be distracted or consumed by every unfavorable interaction or circumstance. We feel as though any effort is futile. We become prone to isolation and conflict. Apathy grows like mold on the walls of a hopeless heart.

As a counselor, I often hear from hopeless believers who are half-heartedly reading Scripture or attending worship services or small groups desperately seeking relief. Though most have resigned to the futility of such efforts before they even begin. They guard themselves against farther disappointment by expecting nothing – the very essence of hopelessness – so they tend to get what they expect.

But what if I told you that you, your marriage, and your family could be refilled with hope?

The Bible gives believers a way to refill our empty or compromised hearts with hope.

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

God’s Word does not tell us to consistently express gratitude for God’s benefit. God is not insecure, needing our constant recognition. We benefit from expressing our gratitude.

Gratitude is the key to overcoming hopelessness.

Grateful people are hopeful people. Gratitude shapes our perspectives of ourselves, others, and the world. Gratitude reshapes our interactions with others by changing our thoughts, words, and actions. Gratitude refills our hearts with hope.

When we pause and reflect on who God is, what he’s already done for us, and what he has promised us, and then express our gratitude out loud, it changes us. Feelings are terribly deceptive, especially when we are discouraged. But words have power. That’s why we are called not to simply feel grateful, but to “give thanks,” to express our gratitude.

How does expressing gratitude refill our hearts with hope?

As we express our gratitude for what God has provided in the past, we know that he is everlasting, unchanging, and always with us. He loves us as much now as he did when he stepped in and did the unthinkable in our lives. If he’s previously loved us enough to intervene, then he still loves us enough to intervene. No believer should have to strain to remember what God has done for them, and when we do remember, we realize what he can do in our future. We remember what is possible through Christ.

The verse preceding 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is

“pray without ceasing,”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

They go together. Why? Because our hope is anchored in Jesus, remembering what Jesus has done for us, and expressing our gratitude to him. Most of us underestimate the power of thanking others, and we vastly underestimate the power of consistently thanking Jesus. Again, not because it benefits Jesus, but because it refocuses us each time we do so.

Are you personally discouraged?

Create a gratitude list, recording everything for which you’re grateful. Add to the list daily. Express your gratitude to Jesus through prayer each time you review the list. Trust me. Consistently expressing your gratitude will significantly change your attitude.

Has your marriage grown distant or stale?

Start consistently pausing and reflecting together on what God has done for each of you and your marriage. Then follow these discussions with simple heartfelt prayers of gratitude. They may not be heartfelt at first. But keep doing so. Empty hearts may take a while to refill, but you’ll soon notice hope rising.

If you have another relationship that feels hopeless, look for opportunities to discuss what God has already done and express gratitude together. I have personally seen business partnerships, parent/child relationships, and siblings be refilled with hope through this approach.

Thanks for reading!

John Crosby