Where is Your Hope?

Last night I was doing a little bit of self evaluation. I was thinking about why in almost every situation I tend to be more pessimistic rather than optimistic. After discussing this with Greg, he asked me the question, "where is your hope?" He encoraged me to read Romans 5:1-4. In this passage I saw that their is an order, a process, of how our hope developes. It begins with tribulation, which leads to perseverence. Perseverence then leads to proven character, which results in hope. As I began thinking back to the times when I have been pessimistic I realized that in almost every one of those situations a problem preceeded this feeling and that rather than persevering through the problem, I simply gave up. Giving up is the easy choice, but in the long run I will lack a certain kind of character that only persevering can build. Another important thing, more important than learning to persevere, is decideing where or who your hope is going to be in. It must be in Jesus Christ. He is our refudge and strength, and an ever present help in our time of need. He is our Savior and Redeemer. Placing our hope in anything else is meaningless and will only leave us disappointed. So, if any of you out there tend to be a little on the pessimistic side, I encourage you to persevere and place your hope in Jesus Christ, our solid rock.