The holy season of Advent is once again upon us, and therefore this week I would like to focus on hope, as this is what the first purple candle in the advent wreath symbolizes. Hope is such a powerful virtue for a Christian to possess. Sometimes, hope is the only motivation we have to keep pushing forward on the path God has chosen for us. Hope of fulfilling His will, of seeing Him in paradise. Of being the person He created me to be.
Hope is not something that comes naturally to most of us. It takes a practice to be hopeful, but the greatest blessing about hope is the more you hope, the more you are able to hope. The key is to use the power of hope appropriately, just as you do the power of prayer. While it is tempting to hope I win the lottery, or to hope I lose 50 pounds, the spiritually appropriate thing is to hope we are following God's will, and open to His work in our life. We can hope for miracles (and trust me both the lottery and 50 lost pounds would feel miraculous at times) but we have to know that God's will in action is miraculous in and of itself. Our greatest hope is in Jesus, and I hope to know Him more through this advent season. I hope the same for you. My hope for us all overflows.
