Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. Hebrews 11:1 TPT
Faith, hope and love are intricately linked. Faith is believing for the impossible. Hope is a confident assurance of a good outcome. Love is the sense of belonging and knowing that we are a family. Hope is hard to hold on to when someone you love seems determined to keep going in the wrong direction. That was our oldest daughter during her teenage years. This happened a few years ago before we all had cell phones where you can track where your kids go. One night, after a heated argument, she slammed to door and didn’t come back for two weeks.
It was during this difficult time that I had a life-changing experience around the reality of hope. I remember that I was sitting at the kitchen table crying uncontrollably. My prayers were angry cries that the Lord teach her a strong lesson because I was so tired of this behavior. (Have you ever thanked God for not answering your prayers when your heart was not right? I do now.)
I was begging for wisdom to know what to do. When I finally had no more tears to shed I was prepared to listen to His answer. I felt Him speak to my heart, “Paint her a picture of hope. Look at her through My eyes of hope.”
You can read more details about this miracle in my book, The Power of Hope for Prodigals: Prepare the Way Home.
Get out of the way
When you are angry because of the choices of those you love you want to withhold your love. You want to jump right in there to make sure that they make the right choices. Instead, be loving while you let your teen suffer the consequences of his/her behavior. This really works. It can be a hard balance to find, so practice it regularly for when you really need it.
Active Expressions of Love and Honor:
Release your anger completely to the Lord
Allow the natural consequences of actions to come full circle
Resist the temptation to preach / scold / have all the answers
Share hope generously
You can share hope without showing approval. Put your confidence in the plan God has for your loved ones and trust Him to continue to work in their lives no matter what it looks like right now.
Active Expressions of Love and Honor:
Show patience for the people closest to you
Trust that there will be a positive outcome
Change the atmosphere
Hope changes the atmosphere of any room you enter. When you stop being the ruler of everyone else’s world you can relax, laugh and enjoy the memories you are creating. One day this will be hilarious. Trust me! I know it’s true.
Active Expressions of Love and Honor:
Make a list of situations for prayer
Write the answers when they come
Write out the testimonies and funny stories
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You define yourself with the word HOPE. That means that You will provide the joy and peace that I need in the midst of the hardest situations. Others may give up hope but You never do because it is who You are. It would be like giving up on Yourself and we know that is never going to happen. When I trust You to work out the details You fill me with ALL joy and peace in the middle of the mess. I release my loved ones to You. Forgive me for painting a dismal picture of what the enemy will do in their lives instead of encouraging them with who they already are in You. Fill me with so much hope that I slosh on everyone around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.