Hope Anchors the Soul
by Elsie Ellsworth
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast ...” (Heb. 6:19)
Hope Anchors the Soul is one of my favorite wall hangings. Originally, the anchor was a symbol for hope in early Christianity. In the first century Church, the anchor was the symbol to represent Christians rather than the cross. This anchor represented security and steadfastness. It reminded the believers that because of their hope in the person of Jesus Christ, they would be able to hold fast during the storms of life.
In our culture, the word “hope” is typically used as a wish in the context of expecting a certain outcome. I hope we have good weather. I hope my team wins. I hope the food is good. But true hope in the Scriptures is an assurance that can only be based on Jesus Christ. It is a certainty. It changes us, encourages us, and gives us strength. It gives meaning and purpose to our lives.
First Corinthians 13:13 tells us “And now these remain: faith, hope and love.” All three of these are essential to get through life in this broken world. Almost every church has a statement of faith and teaches us to love one another. But few churches talk about hope. No wonder God’s people who are loving and faithful are often discouraged. The importance of hope has been forgotten.
The gift of hope is one of the greatest gifts to be given. If one looks up the positive effects of hope, many documented studies show that hope is linked to greater health, higher levels of self-worth, greater academic achievement, and increased physical performance.
It has been said “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air but only one second without hope.” A few years ago, I was sharing a lunch with a wonderful Christian friend who, at the young age of forty-nine, was dealing with a terminal cancer diagnosis of only two to three months to live. In spite of the definitive diagnosis, she had a strong faith and was determined to pursue different alternative treatments. She told me “they [the treatments] give me hope and without hope I cannot keep going.” During the last few months of her life, her hope kept her going as she touched many lives before receiving the ultimate gift of her hope in Christ.
One of my favorite verses concerning hope is Isaiah 40:31.
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Sometimes we will soar like eagles when our hope is in the Lord. Eagles are capable of reaching speeds of 80 mph as they ride on strong thermal air currents. They become excited as a storm approaches because they know they will be able to soar even faster as a result.
Sometimes with hope, we run. We just keep going without becoming weary, which is good because it makes us stronger. And who knows, maybe we will eventually soar.
And sometimes even with hope, all we can do is walk without fainting. Walking is especially difficult to do when you are surrounded by runners and eagles. All we may be able to do is put one foot in front of the other.
Godly hope empowers us to face the tough times and survive. We can achieve this hope through:
Growing our Faith – Being reminded of the goodness and greatness of our God.
Growing our Gratitude – Focusing on what we have to be thankful for, not on what we don’t have or what we have lost or want.
Growing our Love – Recalling the people in our lives that we love and that love us, family and friends. Make it a point to connect often with them.
There is much wisdom in this quote by John Maxwell: “Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.” Hope energizes us and motivates us to take action by causing us to step out in faith. When we purposely embrace hope, it influences our thoughts, our attitudes, our outlook and our conversation. Hope builds us up as we wait on God. Hope releases joy, and the joy of the Lord becomes our source of strength.
Praying that hope is the anchor of your soul.
