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"Hope provides the power that energizes us with life."


A thought by John C. Maxwell (2013-10-08) from his book, Sometimes You Win--Sometimes You Learn:Life's Greatest Lessons Are Gained from Our Losses (p. 93). Center Street. Kindle Edition.

At the beginning of this New Year there are many people I know who are in some very negative situations.  That was very true this past weekend and also last night.

At one point the Indianapolis Colts football team were down 28 points to the Kansas City Chiefs but somehow, someway they came back and won.  Last night in the BCS National Championship game the Florida State Seminoles were losing 21-3 to the Auburn Tigers but they came back and won.  Now at some point in those game I know that a lot of their fans lost hope but neither one of the winning teams did.  When Florida State started that drive with time running out to score the winning touchdown they didn’t start it with the thought that this is useless, why try but so many people are starting this New Year with that attitude.

Now they knew that they wouldn’t be successful on every play, they didn’t have to be but they knew that they needed to do all they could to keep going toward the goal line. 

John quotes Ann Landers, who said, “Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye, and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.’ ”

How about you?  What are you facing in this New Year?  Are you facing it with hope or with despair?  Norman Cousins remarked, “The main trouble with despair is that it is self-fulfilling. People who fear the worst tend to invite it. Heads that are down can’t scan the horizon for new openings. Bursts of energy do not spring from a spirit of defeat. Ultimately, helplessness leads to hopelessness.”

Live with hope.  Start each day with the thought that today is going to be better than yesterday and then do whatever you can to make it better.  Learn from your mistakes and don’t quit.

Now my hope comes from my relationship with Christ.  I believe that I am not in this alone and that He is out ahead working out all things for my good.  You too can have that hope.  Just invite Him into your life.

So what are you facing?
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  1. AnonymousNovember 23, 2014 at 8:47 PM

    Lack of confidence will make it harder to relate with your team mates. It may negatively affect your performance, and it will cause others to doubt your abilities.

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