Choosing Hope

Being Bold in a Time of Fear

There have been many blog posts, memes, and more going around recently about fear, having faith over fear, trusting God, etc. I’ve written about this previously on my blog as well.

We’re living in fearful times, no doubt. We’ll need to have strength, courage, and a lot of patience to get through this time.

Don’t you feel like you’re in some kind of limbo just waiting to get through to the other side?

For me, I’m pretty good at trying to project ahead. For example, I’m one of those people who is nervous about seeing the dentist, even though I like my dentist and go every six months, like a good little girl. On the day of the dentist appointment, I’m projecting ahead. I tell myself “Okay, by 4pm, I’ll be home and all finished with this visit.” I know if I get through a certain amount of time, then the appointment will be behind me. I’ll be past the tough stuff.

But right now, in this crazy year of 2020, we’re not sure when the tough stuff will end. Many of us thought that surely by the start of summer, this would be behind us. Unfortunately, we’re halfway through the summer and we’re still in the thick of a pandemic.

So, do we look to the holidays? To the end of the year? Will 2021 be better?

It’s so difficult when we’re knee-deep in muck and darkness. The light at the end of the tunnel isn’t really visible yet. How do we push through?

The words from Psalm 138:3 (NIV) struck me. “When I called you, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”

Other Bible versions talk about increasing our strength, but I really like the words “bold” and “stouthearted.”

God will definitely increase our strength. He can make us bold. But the word “stouthearted” fills me with such hope and confidence.

It makes me believe I can do this for the long haul. The definition for stouthearted says, “brave and resolute; dauntless.”

Whatever trial you’re facing, whatever darkness or hardship, pray with confidence. Pray and KNOW that God will heal you, and he will increase your strength, and make you bold and stouthearted.

You can do this. We can all get through this time with a little faith, a lot of prayer and the unwavering belief that God is still here, and that through Him, we are bold and stouthearted.

What about you? How have prayers or Scripture increased your faith and confidence?

It’s a tough time in our world – chaotic, confusing, and disheartening. It’s easy to get negative and cynical, and definitely easy to question God and His plan for us.

Generally, I’m someone who has a positive attitude, and I do my best to see all sides of an issue, or try to understand another’s point-of-view before I shoot my mouth off (I’m not always successful in this!). But lately, that’s been difficult to do, especially with the erupting anger and unrest right now. That anger blinds us to all sides of the issues we’re facing.

Is there a solution?

For me, I’ve turned off the news and opened my Bible. I’m reading in Psalms, which is perfect for time likes these. There are Psalms of lament, of being frustrated, and even angry at God. And guess what? It’s okay to be angry at God, to ask questions and wonder what the heck He’s doing. He can take that.

But there are also many Psalms of hope, and that’s what I’m clinging to these days.

I think we need to look for the good that’s around us. The cyclone of negativity is strong right now, and you can all too easily get swept up in it. Pretty soon, all you’ll see is the bad and the negative side of things. You can forget to see the good.

Is constantly looking for the good a silly attitude to have in the face of real-world problems? Perhaps. But to me, attitude has always been half the battle.

Your attitude can determine what your entire day looks like. If we’re caught in the continuing cycle of negativity, then we fail to see the good stuff. We fail to see God’s presence. However, if we try to be positive and have hope, then the lens in which we’re viewing the world can change.

And maybe our positive attitude, and our spirit of hope, can change our little corner of the globe.

Now, if you think I’m not seeing the real world, that I’m only looking through rose-colored glasses, don’t be fooled. I definitely have my down days – my days of lamenting, like so many writers in the book of Psalms. I’ll shake my head and not understand the division among us. However, this doesn’t mean I don’t have faith. I still believe God is working through all of this mess. I believe that we’ll come out of this, and that we’ll be stronger together, instead of tearing each other apart.

In the long run, I have faith. That’s the hope I have to have, the positive attitude that I think is worth sharing.

So, for today, I choose hope.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: