Expectant Hope: 4 Ways to Embrace Hope in Seasons of Discouragement

The Christmas season is by far my favorite time of year, and being in New York City makes it all the more magical. I love the twinkling lights, nostalgic carols, and sentimental traditions, but most of all, I love the spirit of generosity, wonder, and joy.

Looking back over my childhood, I realize my parents really set the Christmas standard for us kids as we stepped into being parents ourselves. My mom and dad were the best gift givers, and I would even argue that they experienced more challenges in checking off their gift lists than we do today.

You see, they didn’t have Amazon Prime or seamless delivery straight to their front door. They had to endure the lines, the people, and the sometimes empty shelves. They were physically standing on line for the latest sneaker drop, the newest video game, and the latest hit toy that every child our age had to have. And while my sweet mom sacrificed her sanity and energy to grant our biggest Christmas wish, there was one area she was lacking in: hiding the presents.

Every single year, she hid every single gift in the exact same place. Like clockwork, throughout December, my sister and I would come home from school, climb into the sacred hiding spot in the back of my mom’s closet, and unearth that year’s treasures. And it was at that moment that our expectant hope turned into expectant assurance for Christmas morning.

Hope is a powerful thing but can sometimes feel unattainable. And unfortunately, most of us have lost our wonder in the midst of life’s chaos, busyness, and disappointment.

So, how can we rekindle our hope this Christmas? Let’s look at four practices we can implement in our lives that usher in a new perspective.

4 Ways to Embrace Hope This Christmas

Spend Time in His Presence 

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

Jeremiah 33:3, ESV 

There is something so tangibly sacred about spending time alone with God. And while God can speak and move in any condition, there is power and clarity within the hidden place.

God wants to reveal His thoughts to you, but He will not compete with the distraction of busyness and noise. Just as the virgin Mary experienced a life-changing revelation in the quiet (Luke 1), He is waiting for you to enter into His presence, where He can share His wonders, revelations, and thoughts with you.

As you begin aligning your days to sit in His presence, you will find that His hope will fill your heart and encourage your soul.

Partner With Hope: Over the final few weeks of 2023, make space to sit with God and reflect on His character. Grab a notebook and ask God for a fresh perspective on the upcoming year. Then, invite Him into your dreams and plans, asking Him to order your steps.

Be Intentional About How You Respond 

“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’”

Luke 1:38, ESV

When all you’ve ever known is disappointment, it can be hard to hope for something new. So many of us have experienced pain in our relationships and within our life circumstances that we have let that hurt hinder our hope.

Proverbs tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Maybe your marriage is not what you thought it would be, or a relationship is causing more stress than peace. Perhaps you had a vision that turned out completely the opposite of what you expected, leaving you feeling tired, hopeless, and frustrated.

But what would it look like to speak faith into the things hindering us the most?

This isn’t about self-manifesting your desires; it is about standing on God’s promises, believing expectantly that the things God has spoken will come to pass because He said so. When we take our achievements (or lack thereof) out of the equation, we leave room for God to do what only He can do, which strengthens our faith and brings us hope.

Church, let us be people who stop speaking our fears into a season that only requires faith. 

Partner With Hope: Take time and reflect on God’s faithfulness in your life. As you remember how He has provided for you, invite Him into your fear and ask Him to restore your hope.

Share Your Hope With Others

“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judea, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’”

Luke 1:39-45, ESV

There is something so life-changing about bringing others along in what God is doing in your life. 

Mary had been given a word from God, and she acted on it by going quickly to see her cousin Elizabeth, who also was miraculously with child just as Gabriel had said. I can just imagine this intimate moment shared between these two women – excitement, joy, and hope.

When we share our testimony with others, we share hope. This hope reminds the world that God is faithful in His promises and what He will do for you, surely He will do for others according to His will in Christ Jesus.

Partner With Hope: Hope is found in our testimony. Ask God to bring to mind one person you can share your testimony with this week. Start small by sharing how God has been faithful this season.

Make Room For a New Thing

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” 

Isaiah 43:19, ESV

Do you believe God is doing a new thing in your life?

Hoping in God requires something from us. It does not mean that we do nothing; it compels surrender, faith, and action on our part through remembrance and response.

Is there something you are believing God for? If so, how are you making room for the new thing that only He can do? For some of us, it will require reassessing our relationships or job situation. For others, it may mean stretching our faith and actively remembering God’s promises while not losing hope and wonder. 

Partner With Hope: What are you believing God for? Ask God where you need to make room for Him to do a new thing in your life, and then together with Him, create an action plan.

Generational Hope

Did you know that the hope God has called you into doesn’t end with you?

The calling God has placed over your life will impact generations to come. In fact, in your hopeful obedience, you are unlocking the doors to other people’s destinies. And as God paves the road where there seems to be no way, you are trailblazing the path that will lead to someone’s healing and purpose.

Luke 1:76-79, ESV says, “’And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, paved the way for the One who has come to change the world. And through John, the world was made aware of Jesus, our Savior, Healer, and Friend.

This season may be painful, but I have good news for you: Jesus, the Light of the world, showed up. And in one moment, hundreds of years of prophecies came to pass, shining the light of hope on the darkness of discouragement.

If you are longing for hope in this season, you don’t have to look very far. Hope has a name, and His name is Jesus.

For more on finding hope in your life, check out Pastor Jasmine Francis’ sermon, Great News, Great Joy: Expect Hope.