5 Ways to Share the Hope Within You

One of my pastors loves to tell the story of what happened when my son was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016. We had been at the hospital for maybe an hour after a frightening morning at the pediatrician, followed by the longest ambulance ride of my life.

My friend had graciously brought Chipotle for me to make sure I was strong enough to help sweet Luke with whatever was going on. As we stood there outside of his ER room, visiting with the pastor and wolfing down the food so Luke didn’t know I was eating, the doctor came with the news.

As he concluded his diagnosis with the word tumor, in between bites, I responded with, “OK, what do we do about it?”

It still makes me laugh when I hear that story. Now, don’t be mistaken. I’m not superwoman, nor am I as “spiritual” as I’d like to be. In that moment, I had hope because I knew God was faithful to His promises. I had seen Him prove His goodness to my little family over and over again.

As Christians, we know we have hope within us. But do we live like it? Do we join in with the complaining on social media and the gossip in small groups? Or do we turn the conversation back to the goodness of God? If you’re like me, it’s much easier to let the circumstances of life control you rather than our hope in Jesus.

But when we are controlled by hope, we can readily share it with those who need the hope we have!

5 Ways to Share the Hope Within You

1) Be ready to give an answer

The first way you can share the hope within you is by having an answer ready for those “why are you happy?” or “why are you okay right now?” questions. How do we know how to answer these questions without tripping all over ourselves and spouting some incomprehensible babble? Memorize the Word! As you hide God’s Word in your heart, you will grow more confident in God’s truth. Then, you will always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15)!

You can use one of our beautiful Scripture card sets to hide God’s Word in your heart so that you are ready for questions when they come!

One great way to invite questions is wearing a faith-based T-shirt that will stir curiosity. (Hint: it also encourages your own heart.) I have worn our #NotConsumed shirt to every single MRI and many of our chemo visits for both of these reasons. Check out our Hope T-shirts!

2) Be joyful

Whether or not your neighbors, coworkers, or friends know you are a Christian, how you react to hard things in life will inform them about whether you believe you have hope or not. A joyful response to a hard situation like the loss of a job or unexpected move will confuse and befuddle those whose worlds have crumbled at less. They will expect you to be dismayed, panicked, or upset.

In contrast to dismay or discouragement, you can show joy through a smile and kind greeting on the sidewalk. When an opportunity to complain arises, verbally praise God in front of others! Surprise them and show them the hope you have within you!

3) Work faithfully

The hope within you trumps tiredness and discouragement and energizes you to DO! You can be hopeful as you trust God to reward your faithful service to Him.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Are you the person who complains about the endless list of things you have to do? Getting kids to music lessons, folding the piles of clean laundry on the couch, or standing up for 15 minutes more to do the dishes are all labors we must do. But we can do them faithfully because of our hope! Our labor is not in vain when it is done for Christ. (Even when the kids don’t seem to notice!)

As moms, we have a huge influence over our kiddos as they watch how we work, pray, and love each day. This is a great opportunity to teach your kids about how faithful work is a witness to those around us. If you want some help, check out this family Bible study about working faithfully unto the Lord!

4) Love generously

One of the ways we fail to share the hope within us is when we don’t take the necessary steps to show people we really care about them. When we are miserly or “thrifty” with the love we show, we paint an inaccurate picture of our hope! The hope of salvation and eternity are lavished upon us in abundance, according to Ephesians 1:7–8. Because of this, our interactions with others should be generous and hospitable to give a proper view of the hope within us!

We can show our abundant hope by inviting neighbors over for a meal or dropping off cookies at their house. Maybe we can give gifts to those who are struggling financially, or we can do yard work or offer to watch kids for an afternoon. Perhaps sending a small gift to someone you know just to encourage them could open their heart to the message of hope you have within you. Open your heart and share your hope!

5) Pray for others to receive hope

No matter what we do to show the hope within us, ultimately, it is God who gives us opportunities to witness and who works in people’s hearts. So let’s pray! Pray for opportunities to share your hope, just as Paul requested of the church at Colossae (Colossians 4:3).

We can also pray for the Spirit to work in the hearts of unbelievers. Pray that He would reveal His truth and bring hope into the hearts of those you interact with on a daily basis. And don’t forget those who are receiving the gospel throughout the world! Our most powerful tool to share our hope is prayer, so let’s use it!

Our #NotConsumed Prayer Journal is a great resource to support and encourage you in your prayer life. Write down the names of those you’re praying for and come back to them daily so you do not neglect to pray for hearts to receive the hope that is in you.