It’s winter, and when it’s wet, cold and bleak, I can find myself feeling a ‘little blue’. And over recent weeks, I’ve also felt a sense of despair at what’s happening in our world. There’s been the floods up and down the coast of NSW, with devastating impact upon people’s lives, homes and livelihoods. More recently, bombs being dropped upon cities, obliterating homes and killing who knows how many. And then waiting and wondering, ‘What’s next?’
It’s in times like these that I long for Jesus to return and for the horror to be over. No more tears, pain, suffering, despair. That will be a good day. For the moment, we need glimpses of hope. I was alerted to the importance of such ‘glimpses’ from watching a talk by Christian psychologist, Leisa Aitken, who has completed a PhD on hope.1 Small glimpses of hope have been shown to benefit our mental wellbeing. As Christians, we know this to be true. But secular researchers have demonstrated that anyone can become more hopeful by imagining or picturing something good that lies in the future. The positive emotional response this generates helps push us forward; these glimpses are powerful.2 Even small things, such as looking forward to dinner with friends or family can have this impact. Let me tell you about a few glimpses I’ve had that have helped me.
I organised a holiday for later in the year. Much to my surprise, I felt my spirits rise in anticipation. I looked at photos of our destination and felt excited. Making plans helped me remember that winter will end and spring will come.
This might seem a little trivial when thinking about the state of our world. But my next glimpse of hope was more profound. It came one recent Sunday while attending church. I sat and listened to 1 Peter 1 being read and it painted a glorious picture of the living hope that all Christians share. It both moved me and grounded me:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9
As I heard these words, I could picture my future hope. It gave me a taste of what God has in store for us. I was reassured that my life is not just defined by my present circumstances.
I was so encouraged by this passage, that I re-read it every day for the next week. It lifted my soul and did me good. It helped settle my fears for my family, my country, and my world.
The third way I’ve found glimpses of hope is hearing what’s kept people going through difficult times. In our Press On course, a number of people share their story of what has helped them persevere through hardship, and what’s helped them hold onto this living hope. They are inspiring. Here are three – Grace, Rachel and Jeri.
Grace shares about when her Mum had chronic heart failure while she was in high school. She speaks of trying to be a ‘good daughter’ and ‘good sister’ in the midst of all the complications that came with living on the mid-north coast of NSW while her Mum was in hospital in Sydney. There were habits and routines that sustained her. But remembering her future hope enabled her to say that ‘nothing could really shake me’, despite all that was happening in her family.
Rachel shares about her first marriage to Ben, living with his chronic health issues, and then discovering two days before the birth of their first child that he had a rare and serious bone marrow condition. Six months after their son was born, Ben died, leaving Rachel, aged 27, a widow and single Mum. Rachel’s faith in her Lord Jesus and the hope that one day the difficulties of life with be no more kept her going.
Jeri speaks of living ‘with a full plate’. Like 1 in 10 women in Australia, she also lives with endometriosis and has experienced chronic pain for years. We hear what hope looks like for her and how this helps keep her going.
Winter can be a good opportunity to hit the pause button and reassess what’s working well in your life. What might help you press on? What helps you catch a glimpse of your future hope? Why not sign up and work through this course either on your own or with a friend. Here’s a chance to be inspired by these women and their testimonies, as well as the stories of others who share of their life and experiences.
Press On is designed to assist ordinary Christian believers in maintaining their mental wellbeing so they can continue faithfully in Christ’s service. To use the language of Paul, we are encouraged to ‘press on’ in our walk with Christ (Phil 3:12-14). The course draws upon biblical truth, as well as key insights from psychological science. Each session contains video content from myself, Keith, and those who share their stories, opportunities for you to reflect and develop your own wellbeing plan, a bible reflection and prayer. You can find out more here, or sign up to the online course below.
1 Leisa Aitken delivered the Richard Johnson Lecture ‘Rediscovering Hope’ which unpacks some of her research findings on hope: . https://publicchristianity.org/video/rediscovering-hope-how-we-lost-it-how-we-get-it-back/
2 Homo Prospectus by Seligman, Railton, Baumeister & Sripada, 2016
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