Romans 15:13 says “So I pray that God who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Hope is key to maintaining an optimistic view for one’s future. Researchers have documented that optimism and hope are related to health. The question is… what or who do you place your hope in?
The degree to which we believe in the object of our hope will determine the level of hope that we have. I have learned to place my hope in God and in what is written in the Bible which is His truth. As the verse indicates, as I place my hope in Him I am happy and have peace. It’s God’s Holy Spirit that provides me with so much hope that it overflows within me.
Imagine if you were trying to make a health-related behavior change in your life. To be successful you’d need a certain degree of confidence that you’d be able to make the desired change. In behavioral terms this is called self efficacy. A Christian who is full of God’s Spirit has an extra source of power to make behavior changes. Knowing that the Holy Spirit lives inside us gives us this additional hope. The Holy Spirit provides us strength that we would not have otherwise.
Paul’s prayer for us in this verse is my prayer for you. I want you to know God in such a personal way that you’ve accepted Jesus as your savior and know that the Holy Spirit lives inside you. I believe that as you mature in your faith you’ll be able to gain extra power to live a healthy life… a life that more glorifies God.
Have a blessed day!
Dale
