Control Your Hope

Did you know that you can control your hope?

The Apostle Peter tells us this in 1 Peter 1:13 ESV “. . . set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Many of us struggle with keeping up this hope.  We know it is our ultimate hope, as well as the source of hope for practical living day to day.  But, part of our struggle has to do with how we think about how we are going to get hope and keep it, let alone increase it.

The society in which we live talks about hope in very general terms, disconnected from anything certain or specific.  It is portrayed as an emotional state of being hopeful, or filled with longings that may or may not come true.

The Christian holds on to a highly specific hope, and it is neither a wish, nor uncontrollable emotion.  Our hope is built on truth, set upon a reality, and guaranteed as a future.  Our hope is not an emotional state that just comes over us at times, disappears at times, and we chase after through general prayers and having ever new experiences.

A Top Priority

Our top priority is to set our hope fully on the grace to come to us at the Return of Christ.  This grace is the grace of salvation in its fullness discussed earlier and secure because God the Father has birthed us to a living hope through resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This is something we look forward to, hold on to with confidence, and expect to be very good.

This is how the letter just began.

1 Peter 1:3-5,10 ESV “. . . According to his [God the Father] great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. . . . Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,”

Now, verse 13 states the main point of letter, “therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Using Our Minds Spiritually

How do we do this, practically?  How do we “set our hope fully on the grace?”

The preceding two phrases give us direction:  “Preparing your minds for action” and “being sober-minded.”

The first phrase is more literally translated as “girding up the loins of your mind.”  The image is that of fastening up ones garments so as to prepare for strenuous activity, whether military or athletic.  So, we need to be prepared mentally for the actions we will need to take in order to set our hope.  It will take strenuous mental efforts to be able to hope fully.  We will have to fight the inner doubts and the lies of the devil and unbelievers.  And we will have to persevere through troubles and trials in our lives by using our minds so we don’t lose hope.

The second phrase of “being sober-minded” is not simply talking about keeping our heads clear from alcohol’s effects.  It is more broadly saying that we need to control our thinking and concentrate steadily.  There are many “intoxicants” in our lives that will direct our hope away from future grace.  Though it is good to concern ourselves about them in moderation, if we are not careful they will occupy our minds almost completely.  Things such as our careers, families, recreations, friends, money, and the list goes on without end.  We will have to keep our heads clear from all sorts of inordinate worldly affections, passions and reasonings.

The Apostle Peter is talking about a spiritual use of mind, or seeing the use of the mind as a spiritual activity.  We must realize that hope does not just happen, nor is it simply an emotional state.  What a sad struggle as a Christian if only to hope only like the world around us.

Hope comes from believing God, believing in His promise of grace at the Return of Christ.  It comes from controlling our thoughts and thinking clearly, and acting upon the truth of our new life in Christ, regardless of life’s pressures.  This is how a full Christian hope is produced, experienced and increased.