Confident Hope

How does someone maintain a good attitude in the midst of difficult times?  How does his or her character affect these situations? The character of a person, the true nature of his or her heart, is a continual source of either hope or despair.

Hope is a confident expectation of good, based on the promises of God. Hope comes from a changed character of someone who has persevered through suffering a difficult circumstance or event. Character teaches us to be confident and to have proper expectations for when the next bad thing happens. 

As coaches and athletes, we are expected to attribute good characteristics of hope and confidence through every loss, defeat, or physical set back. Paul says that character produces hope and that hope doesn't fail because God has put an everyday reminder of His love in our hearts. The Spirit of God is alive in us to remind us of His love and promises. That's what real hope looks like.

As you may be affected by tragic or difficult events in the world today, God calls us to have hope in Him and His love. Today, remember to let hope arise from your character and prepare you for a great day of competition.