Hope, faith and love...

"Bad things are easier to believe..." is a line from the main character in Pretty Woman. Her heart cry is that the circumstances were too hard to overcome, and her solution was the only way out. For many of us Vivian's quote resonates deep within, especially when the enemy's voice screams the loudest. But, there are things that the enemy cannot understand.

Hope is the inherant belief in what cannot be seen and that God will always carve a way through our situations. Faith is the free gift that God gives and encourages us to share that with others, who may falter in their own journey. Faith and hope work together to strengthen our relationship with God, our own church family, and those who have never known God. But, the firm foundation is love.

Love is our greatest resource, it is the basis for family, for marriage, and for community. Without it we are a one-note song, with little meaning to anyone. Love is the purest thing we can have, and when shared among others is more powerful than anything. It is by love, we can motivate others, lift up the hope and increase faith. When all are in concert, we give the best of ourselves, and becomes a praise to God.

The ultimate love was Jesus dying on the cross, giving all that he had to be the bridge between a fallen world and God. While we will not be called to make a sacrifice of that magnitude, Jesus created hope for all of us both now and into the future. Scripture tell us this way "And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).

Instead of believing in the bad things, we can remember, that nothing is forever, and God's love still remains. He gives us the faith and hope for our futures, to rise above whatever we may face.