Delayed Hope

In grad school, it was suggested that I consider Biblical counseling instead of mental health counseling. My conviction being the reason - I could not counsel contrary to God's Word. This took me on a confusing journey, but I kept hearing “Just stay the course”. I knew there was great value in psychology. Just like God was sovereignly involved in the evolution of medical practices, the same was true for soul care.

Fast forward to today. There is a hunger for not only spiritually integrated therapy but also Biblical integration. There is a return to faith. The truth is, there is only so much hope you can give in the secular sphere. Nothing gives me greater joy than helping others come to know their Lord and Savior as their safe place of healing, hope, and refuge.

When you invite Christ into therapy, anything is possible. In fact, more than you can ask or imagine.

Recently, a client was deep in despair and I found myself anxiously trying to help as best I could. Later, the word “hope” came to mind as to what was missing. There wasn’t much Christian integration because this client professed Christianity but unfortunate experiences had done their best to steal her faith. We had gone there before, but to her, God could not be trusted so we focused more in the secular psychology realm. In processing the recent session and the word hope, I felt a conviction to go there again, not to preach, but instead to explore her experience and disclose some of my own experiences with trust and hope.

I have not written in a while due to a long hard season. It was not for naught though. Our Father is always stretching, teaching, and transforming His children. He also promises to use our suffering for good -- sanctification and the furtherance of His Kingdom.

In 2024, I had hope, and was focusing on "trust" to move me forward, but when I examined that hope, I was focused on the hope to come, not the hope of now. I knew my Savior would rescue me in his time and bring me into an abundant eternity eventually, but today, and who knows how much longer, things would be hard. This felt cruel.

Romans 8:28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

There was only delayed hope. I knew and trusted this verse, but deeper reflection revealed I was still clinging to my good being what’s good. I realized I was not surrendering to God's good. In other words, I not only needed to trust, but surrender even when God’s good did not look like my perceived good.

That’s a hard concept to put into practice. Surrender – laying down my ways, plans, future, and desires, even when they are good because God's are even better.

We have finite minds with only this life as our experience. We cannot comprehend eternity, only this minute portion of it. Therefore, the hardest long-suffering situation one can imagine when looking through the lens of eternity is only but a moment. Somehow and someway each believer’s situation will be used for God's good, which is ultimately our good.  Do you trust that?

Questions to Consider:

1. Do you only experience delayed hope?

2. Do you surrender and trust God's good even when it doesn't match your good?

3. What is preventing you from fully embracing and surrendering to the hope of Christ?

Scripture to Consider:

• Ephesians 1:18-19 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might

• Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

• Ephesians 3:20  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

• Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

• Ecclesiastes 3:11  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.