Instead of preparing your heart for disappointment by always imagining the worst, you can learn to approach uncertainty with faith and biblical hope. God’s promises remind you that He remains present in difficult circumstances and can bring good from situations you don’t understand. Through prayer, Scripture, and intentionally shifting your thoughts toward what God can do, you can begin to break cycles of anxious thinking and find greater peace in the present. Discover how to replace fearful expectations with hope, trust God with your future, and encourage others through the joy and peace He provides.
Highlights
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What anticipatory anxiety is and how worrying about what might happen can affect your peace
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How Romans 15:13 encourages believers to trust God for joy, peace, and overflowing hope
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Why expecting the worst can become a habit—and how to begin choosing hope instead
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How biblical promises like Romans 8:28 can help you trust God when you cannot control the outcome
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What David’s confidence in Psalm 27:13 teaches us about expecting to see God’s goodness during difficult times
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Practical ways to use Scripture and prayer to redirect anxious thoughts and strengthen your hope
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How trusting the God of hope can help you experience greater peace and encourage others through your faith
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Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.
UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
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Full Transcript Below:
Focus on the Best That Could Happen Instead of the Worst
By: Lia Girard
Bible Reading:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
– Romans 15:13, NIV
I wish I were the only one who struggles with what a former counselor of mine called “anticipatory anxiety” or “feeling physical and mental consequences from something that hasn’t happened yet or might not happen at all.” But if this were true, and I was the only person prone to overthinking and overstressing, there wouldn’t be so many reminders in the Bible to “cast our cares,” and “not worry,” and “fear not.”
The one who made each one of us knows that fearing what might not even happen can upset anyone’s equilibrium. This inclination to auto-traumatize potential outcomes can dig a familiar rut. I’ve even heard people say it feels safer or more comfortable to “not get their hopes up.”
But what if it were just as possible... to be intentionally hopeful?
What if you and I could decide, in the middle of our rising fear and discomfort, to always ask, “What’s the best that could happen?” Instead of expecting the worst—because we’re trying to dull any disappointment we might endure if hopes are dashed—there’s also the biblical option to believe in better days ahead. Even to expect miracles.
You see, even though David was cornered by enemies who were plotting to destroy him, he proclaims in Psalm 27:13—
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Here’s the reality: you can’t control everything. But you can control your own choices. You can choose to trust Romans 8:28, which promises, “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.” And as you trust in God’s ability to bring forth good things from all of our combined circumstances, you can also give yourself this valuable pep talk found in Romans 15:13—
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Are you noticing the energy in this verse? Not just “fill you with a bit of joy” or even “fill you to the brim.” But to fill you with all joy and peace so that you overflow with hope. This kind of experience can transform your day, and even inspire others to choose hope, too. Best of all, none of this is accomplished by your power alone. When you trust in God, the power of the Holy Spirit can generate hope in such abundance that it spills out into your own and others’ lives.
Pay attention here, too, to who fills you with joy and peace. Not your work plan or your accomplishments. Not your bestie or your spouse. The one who provides the joy and peace you need is the God of hope.
It becomes clear, after parsing through Romans 15:13, that your only part is to trust in him. Trust in all his promises, such as Jeremiah 29:11—
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
This is yours to claim, too. God wrote you a love letter so you would tuck what is possible, divine, and true in your heart and know it well. Especially during times you may feel tempted to look for the worst possible outcome, instead of what his goodness can make happen. Why not try it today? After all, what’s the best that could happen?
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Knowing that God desires you to feel hopeful rather than fearful can help pull you out of the rut we all get stuck in sometimes. Try writing down or memorizing verses like these during challenging times:
- Isaiah 40:31: Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
- Hebrews 6:19: We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
- 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.
Further Reading:
Looking Back with Gratitude, Looking Ahead with Hope – The Crosswalk Devotional
A Prayer to Not Fret in Confusing Times – Your Daily Prayer
Hope Bible Verses – biblestudytools.com
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