The Power and Promise of Hope
But that’s not all! We gladly suffer, because we know suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us… (Romans 5:3-4 CEV).
This is a very bold statement. I would guess many of you would question never having been disappointed by trusting in hope. And who gladly suffers? What’s the lesson to be learned from this piece of scripture?
Knowing our personal core values helps us define our goals in life and as I suggested in Part One, affects what we hope to pass along to the next generation. Just as importantly, recognizing our core values can help us discern if we are living in such a way as to pursue some great vision, some noble purpose.
Some twenty years ago as I was transitioning from my vocation in independent school administration to the ministry, I was required to complete a battery of psychological tests. These tests were to ascertain my fitness for ministry before I could be ordained as a United Methodist Pastor. The results of the testing, among other uses, would provide information to denominational officials as to my psychological readiness to answer my call to ministry.
If these seven suggestions really could bring great success, why would I be writing this post instead of sipping Pimm’s Cup on a sail boat in the Mediterranean? Just in case you make better use of these suggestions, send me an email describing your success.
He lived an imperfect life. That led him to find a noble purpose, a purpose for which he would give his life. This kind of personal transformation can be the basis for hope even in the life of an imperfect, rebellious individual. Where we begin our life’s journey and where it ends offers each of us time in which to grow and in which to find a purpose, a noble purpose.
That belief began to work in me when I was just a child. I heard a scripture written by a follower of Jesus. That follower was going blind. He would be jailed for his faith, he would suffer greatly, and he would be left to die alone. That man died not knowing how important his words and the witness of his life would become.
