Reflection
Discouragement deprives us of confidence and enthusiasm. It dismisses our belief that things can improve and deters us from taking any positive action.
Hope is the confidence that, with God’s help, we can do better. It believes that things will improve. In the face of apparent impossibilities, hope believes it can find a way. It is proactive. Hope believes there is a future and it is worth working toward it. Discouragement demoralizes us but hope encourages us.
Prayer
In You, O God, is my hope.
Action
What are the sources of my discouragement? How can I transform this situation with hope?
Suggested Reading
God has said, ”Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So say with confidence, ”God is my helper. I will not be afraid.”
Hebrews 13:5-6
With human beings it is impossible, but to God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:25
I can do all things through the One who strengthens me.
Phillipians 3:13
The Christian cannot be satisfied with having hope; he or she must also radiate hope, be a sower of hope.
Pope Francis
Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
Thich Nhat Hanh
We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope. Martin Luther King, Jr
We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.
John F. Kennedy
I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.
Dalai Lama
You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.
Michelle Obama
Where there is no vision, there is no hope.
George Washington Carver