By Nneka Okumazie
Some business people love to say hope is not a strategy. There are others too who love to say “we can’t trade on hope”. Maybe this is accurate for their business or purpose, maybe not, who knows?
But in life, hope is almost certainly next to the best strategy – if not the best, at times.
The value of hope is far powerful than several factors – including happiness.
Happiness, or say satisfaction can be temporal, it can depend on other factors, it can be taken away or expire, it can become unexciting, it can become costly, it can become a distraction, it can lead to addiction, desperation or frustration.
But hope stands alone, sometimes. Hope can shake, or be beaten, but it often stands. Everything else can be risked – not hope.
There are so many things in life that attacks hope. Rejection attacks hope. Disappointment attacks hope. Shame attacks hope. Disgrace attacks hope. Frustration attacks hope. Delay attacks hope. Hate attacks hope. Mockers attack hope. Worries attack hope. Sadness attacks hope.
Bitterness attacks hope. Wickedness attacks hope. Spite attacks hope. Intimidation attacks hope.
Pride attacks hope. Insults attacks hope. Negativity attacks hope. Fear attacks hope. Fabrication attacks hope. Struggles attacks hope. Failure attacks hope. Tragedy attacks hope. Challenges attacks hope.
There are so many people living a very hard life and can’t catch a break. There are some that go from bad luck to worse. Some people have other people gather against them wherever they go. Some have people that hate them without cause. Some are struggling with health, family, career, business, studies, habits, etc.
There are times some get some success or victory – resulting in a respite, or say happiness. But it quickly dissipates because new hardship buoys.
It is common to say “the pursuit of happiness”, but maybe that is the problem. Maybe it should be the pursuit of hope. Maybe learning to hope should be the ultimate lesson.
There are unhappy people in every social class in life. There is no material, or say professional or lifestyle desire that some haven’t had, yet were unable to be happy, content, or at peace.
This should be a reminder that ambition is great, but altitude or success is not always the ultimate happiness because of the way the mind works.
No matter where anyone is or what anyone has, when the things that attack hope comes for the person, life can be super unbearable, even if they keep a grin, or say façade.
How is the world this advanced, this prosperous and smart, but almost equally hopeless?
There are so many strange things every day, sometimes, from the most unexpected places or people.
A world of hope should be more compassionate, more helpful, more gracious and more humble.
But this world is often vicious, and the pursuit of selfish success is the opium.
There is a lot of pressure for everyone to be desperate for success. But, sometimes, at the point of desperation, it is possible to forget that when the success comes based on certain conditions; the conditions can later-on make unsettling demands.
Hope is better than desperation. Hope is better than greed. Hope is better than deception. Hope is better than envy. Hope is better than the fear of failure, or the fear of disgrace, or the fear of shame that some hopelessness are shaped by.
Everyone sometimes likes to deny that hope is a factor for life because some people overplay hope, or try to use hope – or say luck, to reduce the success of others. Regardless of perception, hope is almost as the air, no hope – maybe no life.
There is also hopeful Faith, and the Christian Faith aggregates it. This hope is optional, but if accepted, it becomes superior to the hope that drives life.
Yes, many disagree with it, many question it, many feel smart and independent without it, but maybe there are things they don’t know, or maybe there are things they don’t even know that they don’t know.
Maybe science has so many unsatisfactory answers and unanswered questions, maybe life is too mysterious. Maybe using humanity’s limited intellect to question the Creator, a Spirit, is unwise.
Even Christians leave all to God. But hoping in Him overrides much. For truly devout Christians, salvation for them is hope.
[Romans 8:24, For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?]
The heart is the place of hope, and it is possible it was advised – indirectly – to protect one’s hope.
[Proverbs 4:23, Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.]
The Christian faith is a hopeful faith. Sometimes, like in a marriage, love can temporarily fade because of disagreement or dissatisfaction, but hope must not fade.
There are times of unhappiness, for some with the Lord, because of seeming unanswered prayers but hope must not be cancelled.
It is also possible that sometimes, the forgiveness of the Lord and His mercies happened to some because of hope.
The Lord is gracious, merciful and hopeful that everyone repents. There are people, not of the Lord, who cast out devils in the name of the Lord but the Lord did not judge them – immediately.
This may also be as mercy for all, that no matter the perception of the size of sin, the Lord is merciful to all.
So while some think God isn’t powerful to judge the wicked, or God is too patient, the same patience is applied to all.
Prayer in itself is hope. The hope that prayer can be answered is enough to be happy sometimes. It may not be immediate, but possibility is hope, and prayer germinates possibilities.
[Jonah 2:2, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and He heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, [and] Thou heardest my voice.]
There is a lot of hope in the Christian faith, and as the world get more negative and all kinds of people – who have different things shaping and controlling them, put out negativity and attitude, it is important to be firm – in hope and rejoice – in hope.
[Titus 1:2, In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;]
[Hebrews 6:19, Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;]
