One of the worst things you can be is hopeless. Hopelessness will have you looking at the mirror and seeing someone you no longer recognize. The descent can be easy, as the voices in your head know just what to say to cause doubt to take control. It’s so easy for us to wonder how to have hope for the future or even the present day. “Don’t go. You’ve got enough. It’s too expensive; it’s too far. Don’t make it such a big deal.”
Sometimes even people in your life try to talk you out of things, exacerbating the hopelessness you already feel. That’s why it’s important for us to stay vigilant. I want to help you reconfigure your mindset because there are so many reasons to keep going. We’re not living from one crisis to the next. We’re not crying about things outside our control. We’re not doing any of that anymore. We’re taking the path of hope, no matter what our circumstances look like.
Show Up
First of all, we have to make up in our minds that we’re going to show up. You’ll never win a battle that you don’t show up for. Hopelessness will steal countless opportunities from you if you make the decision to stay back or refuse to try. You may not realize it, but sometimes winning is just making a decision. Do you know how many places I wouldn’t be if I just decided to stay home? For most of us, part of the victory is just showing up.
When I lost my mom, I had to make up in my mind that I would show up. “I’m getting out of this bed. I’ve got to show up. I’ve got to do something different. I’ve got to fight this grief; I’ve got to fight this sorrow. I’ve got to fight this depression, and I’ve got to resist. I’ve got to change my posture, my position. Nothing is going to change, Taffi, if you stay in this bed.” I am not telling you to skip the grieving process or to ignore the tragedies you face in life. I am telling you that your journey is not defined by what you lost or by what was done to you.
You’ve just got to show up! I had to turn off the sad songs. You know how we are; it can be comforting to wallow, to sing a whole bunch of songs about not having anyone who loves you. I had to turn all that off! I said to myself, “Nobody’s coming to your pity party, Taffi. No one is accepting your invitation; you’re going to have to figure this out.” I had to talk to myself and to God. The answers to your questions and solutions to your issues are waiting for you on the other side of your hopelessness if you simply get up and open the door for them.
Bring Hope with You
Show up for the battle ready to fight. A good sign of hopefulness is preparedness. Do not live your life as those who feel inferior to the giant, inferior to the hard time, like they can’t measure up. When you go to an interview, show up like you know who created you! You don’t always get to pick the place or the time a battle will show up, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with the belief you won’t come out of situations as the victor. God says, “I’m going to give you the victory. This battle belongs to Me, not you.” But we have to be ready and willing, and to take heed to what God leads us to do.
Conclusion
You’ve got to shine the light of hopefulness onto your situations, and then as a result, you’ll begin to walk in the blessing. You’ll receive restitution and restoration. You’ll receive wholeness, deliverance, healing—everything that God said was yours. Don’t hide behind generations. “This just runs in our family.” No! You’re not going out like that. Don’t hide behind expectations or the word of gossipers. The right path for you will always be the path of hope, and I am excited for you to see the reasons to keep going.
