Keeping Hope Alive: Part Three

In the last two posts, we found three practical ways to cultivate hope from Psalm 59, written by David when it seemed to him that he had lost everything. When David wrote this Psalm, Saul had sent me to his house to murder him, in addition to that, Saul had also taken David’s wife from him – David had been, at that moment, homeless, wifeless, and jobless, yet in Psalm 59 we can see David running to God in prayer, gaining a Godly perspective, and gaining a sense of control. In this last post on hope, we will look at one more thing to help us keep hope alive: people.  

Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5 that hope is forged in enduring trials. I, however, can testify that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we are unable to find hope in our situation, and enduring seems like an impossible task. We are so entrenched in the circumstances that we are unable to see past the hurt, the anxiety, the disappointment, the loss, etc. We need people around us to stand with us – or in some cases stand in our stead. Continuing with David as an example, he had people in his life who encouraged him, challenged him, and advised him.

Cheerleader. 

Cheerleaders fill an amazing role in our lives; they encourage us, extend grace to our faults and remind us of our strengths. When we feel like giving up, they are the ones to say ‘keep going’. David and Jonathan had a legendary friendship and a deep trust. A beautiful example of Jonathan’s encouragement can be seen in 2 Sam 23:14-18, where Jonathan went out into the wilderness to find David to strengthen and encourage him. Jonathan also reminded David of God’s promise. Think about the people in your life. Who has encouraged you? How did it feel to have that encouragement? Who can you reach out to and invite into your struggles?  

Challenger 

The role of a challenger is someone who has the permission to challenge us when we are not acting according to God’s character, keep us accountable when we set out to do something or reach a goal, reveal blind spots, and help us gain a new perspective on our circumstances. In David’s life, we see Nathan who rebuked David when he acted immorally, and Joab helped David gain a new perspective about his son Absolom. To whom can you give permission to be your challenger and voice of accountability?  

Advisor 

Think of someone whose advice made a positive impact on your life. Advisors are people who share wisdom and knowledge, who can inspire you and even coach you. An advisor can be a parent figure, mentor or mature godly friend whose life experience became a wealth of knowledge from which you can glean. They may also be someone you have never met; many authors have played a significant role in how I view the world today and approach challenges. Ask God who he has placed in your life that you can learn from. 

Conclusion 

Ryan Leak in his book ‘Leveling Up: 12 Questions to Elevate Your Personal and Professional Development’ makes the bold statement that no person is self-made, he makes the argument that somewhere along your journey someone gave you the necessary tools to keep going and reach your dream. We need people in our court, even when we endure trials and challenges – I would say especially when we endure trials and challenges. We need our cheerleaders to encourage us, our challengers to point out where we may falter or have faltered, and advisors we can learn from. It takes great risk and vulnerability to share when we are feeling hopeless, but I would say that the reward far outweighs the risk. Find the people in your life with whom you can share your burdens and invite them to help you carry them.  

Coach U 

Who can I invite into my life to help me carry my burdens?  

How can I be a cheerleader, challenger or advisor to people around me? 

P.S. Many clients have described our coaching as a voice of accountability. Book your session here.

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