Anchored in Hope
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It’s crazy out there right now. Are you feeling it? The punches to the gut keep coming in the headlines, and the home front is under constant attack, too.
It’s hard to hold on to hope when your mind is cluttered with images of despair. How do you push back the darkness and press passed the doubt?
Watching the Olympics has helped some. I see hope in those determined feet bouncing off the diving board. I sense something greater is ahead when I watch the tiny power house gymnast stand on a precipice and say, “I got this.”
It’s amazing how flipping the switch on our perspective can pick us up from the mire and help us conquer the mountain.
Here’s the thing: Today, “I got this” because I’ve got Jesus in my corner.
So no matter how crazy it gets, I got this with Him.
See my hope is not rooted in the 6 o’clock news or the stock market. My hope is not founded on my dress size or my salary.
My hope is anchored to Jesus.
And this anchor is not weighted downward and immobile. I am tethered to an upward hope in heaven that keeps me moving forward.
How to Stay Anchored in Hope:
Look forward in expectation: One day, Christ will return to rescue us from the darkness. Stay focused on the glory to come (I John 3:1-3, NLT).
Shout out God’s praises: He doesn’t waste a single moment of your life. He is strengthening your frame through every difficult step you take in faith (Romans 5:1-5, MSG).
Trust Jesus with laughter and singing: Want to make the devil disappear? Start singing “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart” at the top of your lungs. Stay lighthearted and worshipful as you wait on God (I Peter 1:3-9, MSG).
Pursue wisdom: Doubt dispels when you flood your heart and mind with truth (Proverbs 24:14, NIV).
Tap into your power source: The power of Christ who overcame death itself lives in you. The Holy Spirit will fill you up with joy and peace as you surrender to Him (Romans 15:13, NLT).
Remember God’s mercies are new every morning: God is still on the throne. The sun will rise tomorrow. Greater things are ahead. He loves you with an unfailing love that never quits (Lamentations 3:19-33, MSG).
Hope overflows from the soul that is anchored to Christ.
Something to think about…
I’m sharing “Anchored in Hope” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.
Thought-Provoking Thursday Spotlight:
Dr. Michelle Bengston
Speaking from personal and professional experience, a neuropsychologist unpacks what depression is, shows how it affects us spiritually, and offers hope for living the abundant life.
Neuropsychologist Offers Hope to Those Struggling with Depression
-By 2020, depression will be our greatest epidemic worldwide
An estimated 350 million people worldwide suffer from some form of depression
As with the bestselling My Stroke of Insight, the author experienced the same condition she treats
Helpful features include personal stories, biblical truths, prayers, and music recommendations
As a board-certified neuropsychologist, Dr. Michelle Bengtson has seen the devastation that people experience when depression sweeps into their lives. She knew what research advocated in terms of the most effective treatments and prescribed them to her clients. But when she personally experienced to the ravages of depression, she found that the treatments she had been using with her patients didn’t help her. As a result, her personal experience became the catalyst for a more holistic approach to treating depression in others.
In Hope Prevails, Dr. Bengtson writes with deep compassion and empathy, blending her extensive training and faith, to offer readers a hope that is grounded in God’s love and grace. She helps readers understand what depression is, how it affects them spiritually, and what, by God’s grace, it cannot do. The result is a treatment plan that addresses the whole person—not just chemical imbalances in the brain.
For those who struggle with depression and those that want to help them, Hope Prevails offers real help, hope, and healing for the future.
Dr. Bengtson’s book Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression (Revell publishers, August 16, 2016) is available for purchase now here.
Author, speaker and board certified clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Michelle Bengtson is also a wife, mother and friend. She knows pain and despair firsthand and combines her professional expertise and personal experience with her faith to address issues surrounding medical and mental disorders, both for those who suffer and for those who care for them. She offers sound practical tools, affirms worth, and encourages faith. Dr. Michelle Bengtson offers hope as a key to unlock joy and relief—even in the middle of the storm. She blogs regularly on her own site: http://www.DrMichelleBengtson.com.
For more hope, connect with Michelle through her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, You Tube, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Thought-Provoking Thursday Linkup:
Have you written something thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, or inspiring lately? Link it up here! For best results, write the title of your post in the name box. 
