Hope
Hope is half the formula for motivation. If you don't have hope that your efforts will succeed, how can you convince yourself to try? (Desire is the other half, by the way.) The more hope you develop, the easier life becomes in every way! You will find an abiding peace to carry you safely through any storm.
What should you hope for?
You can hope for many things! Hope that obedience and righteousness will bring you
enduring happiness and salvation. Hope that God loves you deeply and is aware of your
every need and thought. Hope that everyone will one day be resurrected and free from
sorrow. Hope that you can eventually grow and overcome your weaknesses and sorrows. Hope
that your prayers will be answered for you and for others.
How do you get Hope?
Hope comes from a few different sources:
Experience: experience can teach you that effort pays off. Even when you despair, remember this and try again--then pay attention to the results. Remember that sometimes we will fail, but eventually we can overcome.
The Spirit: the Spirit automatically fills you with the love of God and how can you not have hope when such sweetness fills you? You can then hardly doubt that God cares and that He will somehow help you through your trials. God is able to deliver you from any trial or weakness whatsoever. Hope is a gift of the Spirit--ask God for it and continue to ask until your weaknesses are turned to strengths.
The Scriptures: reading the experiences of others' lives reminds you that no matter how desperate things may seem, there is always hope. If God helped people in times past, if great sinners became great people of righteousness, then why not us?