Biblical Answer

The Foundation of Hope: Faith and Love

Hope is a skill that develops over time, and it is also a corporate venture that needs the reminders of the body of Christ. To keep hope alive, we need to commit ourselves to a church where the story is told, and seek opportunities for daily reminders. The Bible reminds us that love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8), and it is the foundation of hope. When we are convinced of God's love, we will be confident that he will deliver us, and we can wait as long as it takes because we have a secure foundation in Him.

The Power of Hope

Hope takes practice, and it is a skill that needs to be nurtured. The Bible reminds us that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12), and unrealized hopes can sack marriages, ruin careers, prompt suicides, and make midlife crisis a household term. However, hope that is based on God's love and faithfulness will never fail. We need to pray for eyes to see and to understand the truth of God's love and faithfulness. We need to consider our motives and ask for prayer to love deeply from the heart. Sometimes, we will grow weary in loving, but we need to trust in God's love and faithfulness.

The Importance of Love and Faith

Love is the final objective test of our Christian profession, and it is the greatest virtue. However, faith is where it begins. We need to pray that as faith increases, love will abound. We need to remember that love serves as a basis for the believers' hope that God has reconciled himself to believers and will therefore save them from the eschatological wrath that will be poured out on the final day. This hope, furthermore, receives its strength from the fact that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). We need to trust in God's love and faithfulness, and to remember that love never fails.