“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach
John C. Maxwell says leaders need to be “Hope Dealers”. When things get tough, everything is changing and uncertain, or when you are in the middle of a crisis, what everyone needs the most is hope. Great leaders always find a way to bring hope to seemingly hopeless situations. This requires maturity and a big picture perspective. It also requires bold and insightful leadership set on serving others.
Controlling and insecure leaders don’t think of helping others in a time of crisis or uncertainty. They are self-absorbed and focused only on their own survival. The controlling leader goes into “fix it” mode, while the insecure leader is looking for someone to blame. The mature leader however, responds to difficult challenges by first bringing hope to his or her team members. It’s like a breath of fresh air to those who are overwhelmed and suffocated by their circumstances.
Hope isn’t blind optimism; it has substance based on faith. Faith and hope always go together. To effectively give hope, you as a leader must first be filled with hope yourself. You can’t give hope if you don’t have hope. Here’s Paul’s prayer for you to help increase your faith and hope:
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NLT)
This is a great leadership prayer! True confidence, satisfaction and peace are only possible if you have hope. Those who are “hopeless” are locked up in the prison of worry and panic and the only way to set them free is to give them hope. It is the only key to unlocking the door of hopelessness.
Notice that Paul prays for the leader to “overflow with confident hope”. This is accomplished by the Holy Spirit working in and through us as leaders. True hope comes by the power of the Holy Spirit who fills us with hope so that our hope can spill over into the lives of others. The Holy Spirit is the great Comforter that calms our fears by increasing our faith and giving us hope.
Hope is like a firm foundation in the midst of an earthquake. Even if everything is shaky around you, hope brings a sense of security and confidence. Always look for hope in the midst of any crisis or time of uncertainty. You will find it if you seek it by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, and then let your hope overflow.
When going through difficult and challenging times, it’s hard to stay motivated without hope. Make this prayer of Paul’s, your prayer today. Become a “Hope Dealer” and watch how it inspires and encourages your team.