Minimalism and Having Hope In Life

Minimalism – Having Hope in Life

Do you have a lively hope in life?   We face problems, difficulties, and trials every day.   One of the things I love about minimalism is that when applied to possessions, it does not take you long to realize that having a lot of things brings a very short span of happiness.  After that, you have to deal with all the ‘STUFF’.  

It first means having to have room to store it all.  Some things require ongoing costs to maintain, insure, and just take up your time dealing with them.   

The more you have, the less freedom you have.   Think about that.  
The more you have, the less freedom you have.   

Unfortunately, some people don’t think there is anything they can do about their situation.
Zig Ziglar said that many people suffer from what he calls PLOM disease.  PLOM is an acronym for Poor Little Ole Me.   In other words, rather than deal with issues, they just throw up their hands and say there is nothing I can do… Poor Little Ole Me.     We should not view the issues of life like that.


The Bible is full of verses regarding TRUE HOPE.   130 mentions are made of the word hope.

Rom_8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom_8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
 
Today I want us to think about having hope.    As a Christian, the one thing we should have is real hope.   I recently read the book “Knowing Yourself, Knowing Your Money” by Rachel Cruz who is the daughter of well know author Dave Ramsey.  She had a whole chapter dealing with hope.

Did you know that over 50 percent of Americans’ biggest hope to obtain financial stability is thinking they will win the lottery?    That is not hope, that is being blinded by Satan.   You are more likely to be struck by lightning three times and survive than to win the lottery.    Dave Ramsey said that the lottery was designed by the government to take advantage of the poor and ignorant.   

Anyone that sees life clearly will never waste their money on lottery tickets.    But I see people all the time dishing out good money hoping for the big win.   God will always provide for us, and we do not need to ever seek quick, fast money.  What is sad is that the few who do win the lottery wind up with a ruined life.   Talk to anyone who ever won a lot of money and see how well that worked out.  

In Rachel Cruz’s book, she told about a farmer who had this big barrel of water.  Almost daily, he had to fish out a drowned rat.  Some fellow decided to do a test on the rats.  The numbers I am giving you are what I remember and may not be 100% accurate.  ( I read that book over 5 months ago.)

If a rat fell into a barrel of water without any way out, the average rat drowned to death in 73 minutes.   However, if you helped the rat out, each time you saved him, he would then last over 24 hours more.   The average rat saved 3 times would last over 96 hours swimming before he gave up.   The point of that story is that a little hope makes a huge difference.   Think of how much difference.   Over 60 times the determination rate in a rat when given a little hope. 

This is probably a horrible example comparing it to people, but think about it.   A rat was smart enough to understand that if he was saved once, he built up more determination to swim and live longer.  Put that in a spiritual context for mankind.    If we are saved, should we not have a much greater hope than a rat in a barrel?   When we know Christ as Savior, we should NEVER GIVE UP.

I once read that man can live up to 33 days without food, up to 7 days without water, but can barely survive a day without hope.    As a true born-again Christian, we have hope that is real.   A real hope that is guaranteed by our Heavenly Father.
 
Verses on Hope abound, especially in Psalms

Psa_33:22  Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
 
Psa_119:114  Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
 
Psa_146:5  Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
 
1Jn_3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
 
1Th_2:19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
 
1Th_4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
 
Heb_6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb_6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
 
1Pe_1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
 
I hope this article on faith and hope is an inspiration to you to overcome any problem you face and realize that we are not limited when we look to the true source of hope, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
In the weekly emails I receive from Joshua Becker, I found a reference to the next article.  Check out the PUSH and PULL article this week by Brittany on NoSideBar site.
https://lesslessmore.com/2023/01/11/the-push-and-the-pull/
 
 
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