Are you feeling hopeless today? Are you wanting to give up, throw in the towel, end it all? If so, this blog post is for you!
Everywhere I turn, I find teens who are feeling hopeless because of everything that is going on in the world. Maybe you're one of them. If so, listen up!
No matter what situation you're in, there is hope for you!
If your parents have just divorced, there is hope for you!
If your Mom has just died, there is hope for you!
If your Dad committed suicide, there is hope for you!
If your boyfriend just broke up with you, there is hope for you!
If you just got rejected from your favorite college, there is hope for you!
If you're addicted to drugs, there is hope for you!
If you're overweight and struggling to lose weight, there is hope for you!
If you're experiencing panic attacks, there is hope for you.
If you just failed your biology final, there is hope for you.
If you just got a bad medical diagnosis, there's hope for you.
If you hear voices in your head and think you're going crazy, there is hope for you!
No matter what your problem or situation, there is hope for you!
That hope is Jesus Christ!
You see, hopelessness is a dangerous trap Satan sets for those he wants to destroy. And that includes you! If Satan can steal your hope, then he can overpower you.
But if you refuse to give up your hope, Satan doesn't stand a chance!
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 6: 19 that hope is "an anchor for the soul." In other words, hope keeps us stable and positive in the midst of trials. Hope keeps us looking ahead toward a better tomorrow---toward the day when Jesus Christ will return and usher us into the eternal realm where all suffering will end.
If, that is, you are born again!
But while we are here on this earth, God wants us not only to survive, but also to thrive. And in order to do so, we must have hope. But our hope must be in the right place.
The only right place for our hope is in Jesus Christ. To hope in anything outside of Christ is to hope in vain, for only Christ is the Solid Rock on which hope can stand.
Much of our disappointment in life comes from the fact that we have hoped in the wrong thing or the wrong person. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a parent or a friend who has betrayed us or let us down. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a guy or a gal who let us down big-time. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a job or a career, only to be disappointed in that job or that career.
Whatever the case, when we place our hope in imperfect human beings or in imperfect human situations, our hope will falter. But when we place our hope in the Perfect God, our hope will never fail.
In Psalm 39: 7, King David asks this question: “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?” David answers his own question when he says: “My only hope is in You.”
David knew that the only safe repository of his hope was God. The same is true for us. When we place our hope in God, we will never be disappointed.
Perhaps you are reading this today, and you are feeling hopeless. Perhaps your life has crumbled, and you don’t know where to turn. Perhaps you have even contemplated suicide or have already made arrangements to kill yourself. If I am talking to you, then I urge you to give yourself another chance.
You see, Satan wants to destroy you because you have a great purpose in God’s plan, and Satan wants to keep you from fulfilling that purpose. If you were not important to God, Satan would have no need to make you feel hopeless or to try to get you to kill yourself. But you are a threat to Satan, so he wants to eliminate you—to take you out of the picture. He does this by stealing your hope.
Without hope, we see no reason to go on. So, if Satan can steal your hope, he can steal your future, your blessings, and, yes, even your life.
God, on the other hand, wants to give you life, not steal it from you. He wants to give you hope and peace and every good thing. But in order to receive the hope that God wants to give you, you must receive it from His hand. You must, in short, come to Him.
God is waiting for you to do that now.
Today, if you are feeling hopeless, I urge you to turn to Jesus Christ. He is waiting with open arms for you to turn to Him. He wants to be your Hope.
If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so now. Just pray this simple prayer after me:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I admit that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I acknowledge that You are the Son of God, that You died for me to pay the penalty for my sin, and that You rose from the dead. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. I receive You as my Hope. Make of me all that You created me to be. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God and follower of Jesus Christ. Place your hope in Him. I promise you that you will never be disappointed.
For more information to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus, I invite you to visit my website at maryanndiorio.com.
Now, it's your turn! Do you ever feel hopeless? If so, what do you do to combat hopelessness?
Please share your insights in the box below. Thanks!
Please tell your family and teen friends about this blog and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!
Hugs,
Dr. MaryAnn
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Copyright 2001-2021 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA. All Rights Reserved.
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