3 Jun 2010
Hope
Hope is one of the most precious things in the world.
As a leader I am challenged by the words of Napoleon Bonaparte who said “A leader is a dealer in hope”.
I am also challenged by the book of Proverbs:
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)
For the Hebrew people the heart meant the will and not the feelings. I must confess that there are times when as a leader I have deferred hope and what the Proverb says is true.. both my will and those of the people I am leading are damaged.
So as a leader how do you produce hope?
It’s easy to produce false hope.. tell people what they want to hear.
I’m fascinated how the bible tends to do almost the opposite of that, it connects hope with suffering – which is not what I want to hear!!
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:2-4)
As I think about it though, Its true. In the moments when I can hold on to the truth that God is there and in charge, my sufferings take on a new context. They refine me, strengthen me and inoculate me against the ups and downs of normal life. As I hold on I grow.
The people I admire the most, and give me the most hope, are the ones who have suffered and held on.. and changed the world.