February 20, 2008
“The Skill of Hope”
Dear Friend,
Why do we worry? Some may say we worry because the world is filled with problems and dangers. Others worry because the economy is unpredictable … there is a war in Iraq … and the list goes on and on.
However, the reality is, worry does not originate in any of these challenges. Its origin is in our own souls. We worry because our souls lack the strength and skill to deal with the challenges of life.
Worry yields when the skill of hope improves. Hope requires that we speak to ourselves in a different way. The proverbist wrote:
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the body.”
Proverbs 16:24 RSV
So, begin to speak to yourself with pleasant words of faith, hope and love. Refuse to speak to yourself in the troubled vocabulary of worry. This self-encouragement will be “sweet to your soul and health to your body.”
Doc
Dr. Dave Collings
Lead Pastor
Christ Church
