Have you ever felt like the whole weight of the world is all upon you and there is absolutely no hope as your strength keeps failing? Your troubles seem to mount up on you. Everything and even everyone around you silently utters discouragement and hopelessness. Cheer up, there is hope for the hopeless!
Hope is a great asset to every follower of Jesus, especially when the follower leads like Jesus. It is the belief or expectation that something good that a person wishes for can or will happen. The first hope of every believer is Jesus Christ and He remains the believer’s hope. Our faith in Christ is our biggest source of hope as believers.
The devil is always happy when he sees people giving in to despair and giving up. Discouragement and hopelessness are tools he uses to bring believers down.
Challenges and storms in leadership and life are inevitable. The Bible reminds us that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all. There will always be situations that totally seem hopeless that can cause our faith in God to quiver. But the good news still remains that there is none and will never be any of such situations that cannot be turned around by God.
In Ezekiel 37:1-2, the prophet Ezekiel was asked to observe a valley filled with very dry bones and asked if they could breathe again. The ordinary man would wonder what kind of question that was – looking at a lifeless situation before him.
The picture portrayed in Prophet Ezekiel’s vision was that of the nation of Israel in their Eastern captivity and Diaspora. The nation was virtually dead. It was lifeless, scattered, and bleached, just as this conquered army’s corpses, which were strewn across a battleground. There was no possible means for them to rise from that state. It’s unthinkable!
The picture might even portray the current situation of many nations of the world coupled with wars, hunger, economic regression and uncertain situations. What a great challenge before leaders of nations, especially the ones that are leading as a servant leader.
Job lamented during his trial moments, a lot of us are doing the same. Seeing no good in the present situations of life. Job 7:6-7 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope. O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no longer see good.”
There is no greater state of hopelessness than of man without Christ. In keeping with the writings of Jean-Paul Sarte: “Man can count on no one but himself; he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth.” In addition, “Those apart from God have a feeling of meaningless and abandonment that they cannot explain” As H. Lindsell puts it, “There are no hopeless situations, there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.”
God delights in doing the impossible. Matthew 19:25-26 says, “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, who then can be saved? But Jesus as a wonderful leader beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
The President Eritus of LLJ, Phyllis Hendry Halverson has a heart thrilling testimony on applying Scripture is worth listening to, as it helps us to build our confidence in God even in tough times. She gave herself to memorizing Scriptures (source: LLJ Encounter Leadership Workshop.)
Whenever thoughts and temptations to become discouraged and hopelessness come around, turn to God in a prayer of solitude, just like David in Psalms 42:11 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
Find hope in how God created you to be by taking our Biblical DISC® Assessment.
Michael Okuneye is a certified Facilitator with Lead like Jesus and also the African Representative. Experienced with missions and leadership matters since 1993. He is the Executive Director of Livingword Global leadership Mission; served as a missionary in Niger, Chad and in Nigeria where he resides, training Church Planters and Community Champions to build stronger and transformational churches in Africa. Having raised and trained many leaders in several nations, it has given him the voice in Leadership matters in Nigeria. He served as the Assistant to the National director of Bible league in Chad, later rose to National Head of Operations of Bible League Nigeria before proceeding to advance the course of Leadership and Mission. He is currently the Coordinator of the Teens Church in his local assembly where he raises leaders. As a great motivator, he has encouraged many, coupled with his unique approach to coaching and mentoring lives in diverse fields of specialization, more than 10,000 lives have been affected by his leadership. He is also championing the cause of community development in rural areas for positive changes. He is married to Titilope his best friend and they are blessed with five boys.
