Hope is one of the most health-giving, activating attitudes I’ve ever heard of. I’ve SEEN this illustrated often in the lives of those I serve.
The website RealAge.com (11/16/09) revealed a recent study on women. Those with the most optimism enjoyed a 14 percent lower risk of dying from any cause, compared with their most pessimistic peers. The women who always saw the silver lining instead of the gray cloud were also 30 percent less likely to develop heart disease.
The researchers were quick to clarify their findings don't necessarily prove that a bad attitude shortens life. But a hopeful heart can't hurt.
Hope is what our church’s Sports & Rec Director gave a man he went to high school with over 30 years ago. This man’s son is doing serious prison time. Pete was able to testify to all the guys who have done prison time in the past fifteen years when they weren’t playing basketball in our church gym or committing some crime. In the in between times many of them have gone back to college or obtained GREs, gotten married and settled down. The common denominator in them all…Jesus Christ has become real in their lives. This gave his high school friend hope for his son.
The wise writer of the biblical Proverbs also reported on his research and observations over 3000 years ago: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life…a longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul…a man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” (Proverbs 13:12, 19; 18:14).
Are you still hopeful for this new year? Have you abandoned your resolutions, and has that made you despair? What or who else steals your hope? What/who gives you hope?
Here’s one answer to that last question: “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:5).
