Hope is a 4 letter word that is often underrated and underestimated, especially when compared to it’s counterpart’s faith and love. However; a lot of people don’t realize that hope is an essential link to get you from where you are to where you want to be. It is a necessary ingredient to the manifestation of your dreams AND it is the heartbeat of your faith.

Let’s take for example an expectant mother. She knows that at or about 9 months,  a baby is going to be born.  As each month goes by, her anticipation increases as she begins making plans for the birth of her baby.  She’s sharing the news with loved ones, changing her diet, buying clothes, picking out a name, preparing a room, and ensuring she has the basic necessities to care for her new arrival.  This hope and expectation fuels her assurance-belief-faith that this baby is on the way. But what would happen if she didn’t feel, see, or otherwise tangibly experience the existence of this baby. Would hope remain?

It is important to note that hope can be a very fragile thing that can be stolen quite easily if one is not careful.

Here are 5 common thieves to hope:

1. Fear-That what you’re expecting won’t actually manifest or come to pass.  This could be based on past failures, insecurities, or just pessimism.
2. Doubt-That what you’re hoping for is beyond your reach, impossible, or unlikely to happen; causing you to wonder if it’s really for you.  Thoughts of maybe you’re not good enough, smart enough, or deserving enough of what you desire OR maybe you’re asking for too much or reaching too high, and should just settle where you are.
3. Time-The more time that passes beyond the point of expectation, can cause one to grow weary. Take for example someone running a race.  When the finish line is in plain sight, it is easy to run, because you can see the immediate reward.  That fire of adrenaline ignites within and gives you the fortitude to run.  But, if you continue to run with no finish line in sight, you may begin to wonder if you’re running the wrong race, if you’ve veered off course, or if the finish line is out of your reach.  This produces weariness, which if left unchecked eventually steals hope.
4. Despair-The present situation may seem so bleak and insurmountable that despair has taken over and blocked or clouded your vision.  Or, it’s possible you started off hopeful, but the interference of some of these other thieves have allowed despair to set in and take over.
5. Other’s opinions-Often times the influence of those closest -predominately within your inner circle,  can cause one to lose hope about their situation.  They could knowingly or unknowingly plant a seed of fear, doubt, or despair, leading one to grow weary and surrender hope.

As you can see, all of the above thieves work hand in hand to snatch away hope, robbing one of their dreams. Since the things hoped for are often intangible, making it difficult to maintain; it is important to be on guard against these thieves of hope in order to see your dreams, goals, desires, and plans come to pass.

Just like an expectant mother, you must nourish the hope inside of you to keep it alive, as it is the breeding ground for your faith and the launching pad to your dreams. How can you do this?

1. Prepare-Start taking steps toward that which you hope for. Do something tangible that’s tied to the end result.
2. Declare-Talk about your goal or desire with a trusted source- good friend, family member, coach etc.,
3. Prayer– This is the most important of all. Give everything to God in prayer. Whatever is in God’s will for you, He can and will restore your hope and keep it alive until He brings about the manifestation.

Never give up on your dreams and remember that all things are possible!

Until Next Time..Be Healthy, Be Whole, Be You.

Kay Davis