Confessions of a Teenage Christian (A Devotional Book for Teen Girls)

May 4, 2016 [Hope]

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:16

Hope-

I went to a friend's house a couple weekends ago, and we watched Cinderella. Cinderella is a timeless movie, and I could watch countless versions of it without getting tired.

The common theme in the movie was the urgent last words of Cinderella's dying mother: "Have courage and be kind."  Now, Cinderella had a pretty hard life. She was alone and mistreated, yet obedient. Never was she unkind to her stepmother and stepsisters. She stayed strong, trusting her mother's advice would pay off someday when the night of the ball came. She had made her own dress, only to have it torn to shreds by her stepsisters. She runs outside, drapes her arms across a bench, and cries in hopelessness.

It's such a sad scene to watch, and it made my heart hurt to watch it—probably because it felt much too familiar. I've spent countless similar nights with my arms drapes across my bed, crying until I felt as if I had run dry of tears. That feeling of hopelessness is miserable. It tells you that life is pointless, and you can't expect a future.

I feel as if many of us are told that—whether directly or indirectly—many times a day. We live in a broken, hopeless world. We are surrounded by those who mock our beliefs, by those who are lost and accepting of the idea of a hopeless life. So what makes us different?

We as Christians have all the evidence of a hopeful life. Many times, God has promised us an abundant future. Though we can't expect a solely happy life, God grants us with unexpected times of joy.

All those times we've spent wishing for a fairy godmother are unnecessary—because with have a God alone. He is always there to comfort us in our times of sorrow. Although Cinderella had never met her fairy godmother until that night, it was clear her fairy godmother knew her. Sometimes, we can't feel God like we want to, but that doesn't mean He's gone anywhere. He wanted to know us, so He does. And by acknowledging Him and His love for us, for holding His Son's crucifixion close to our Heart, he grants us our wish of going to the ball. He opens the gates to His kingdom and an eternity spent with Him. What more could we wish for?

So when it feels like there's no hope, when the world around us is screaming that it's all pointless, know what our God promises us. We can have hope. It's not pointless. Its okay to have hope; it's very much justified.

Dear God,
I know I lose sight of You from time to time. There are times when I feel hopeless and afraid. It's not easy to maintain hope in such a hopeless environment, but I know it is possible. You have granted me with promises You can fulfill, and I trust You to lead me to a bright future. I pray that You continue bring hope to my life. Thank You for Your promises and Your truth, Lord. Amen.