Hope has been called an anchor of the soul, because anchors provide stability to help us survive the storms of life. We all need hope, and the losses and challenges many have experienced due to COVID-19 are creating new storms for most of us.
What follows are some tips to help in times like these:
Accept positive pessimism. This is rationally approaching the possible things that could go wrong, and then planning how you would deal with each option in a calm and thoughtful manner. It is not getting stuck in fearful thinking, catastrophic thought processes or a helpless mindset, but rather planning for positive action steps.
Meditate on Acts 27:14-44
Reinforce your courage. Courage is not the absence of fear, but is discovered in the overcoming of it. It is facing a world full of difficulties, and tackling the problems one by one in a manner that believes you will find victory with God’s help, if you show persistence.
Meditate on II Samuel 23:8-39
Seek solutions. Avoid getting stuck focusing on problems and fears of the future, but instead, embrace the idea that solutions are available for those who seek them. Learn to be assertive about exploring God’s gift to you of creative options. Think outside the box.
Meditate on Judges 7 & 8
Photo credit: cornerstoneofhope.org
Dr. Ron Newman 