This is the second post in the blog series “Born for Glory out of Dust.” In this post, Josh Baldwin shares on keeping your hope alive.
“Well, don’t get your hopes up.” At some point in time I can almost guarantee that all of us have heard this after sharing an exciting idea or seemingly far-fetched dream with a friend or family member. I know I have had these thoughts flood my mind just as I was dreaming of something amazing that I wanted for my life.
Not only is it okay to dream big, but the Lord actually wants us to get our hopes up!
The week that I wrote the song “Get Your Hopes Up,” I experienced some of the worst depression of my life. There was no reason for it. I was in a great place in my marriage and with the Lord. I was writing a song for my upcoming album for goodness sake! As I began to lean into the Lord, reminding myself of His promises and all He’s done, I saw the truth of what was happening. I was battling the war in my mind. The thoughts of fear and heaviness that creep up and want to crush the dreams and hopes of creativity before they have a chance to grow and bloom into what they are meant to be. It is crazy that so often many of us entertain thoughts that Satan intends to deter us with because these are the opposite thoughts and plans that God has for us.
I am learning to turn to thankfulness and remember the goodness of the Lord. If my heart does not feel hopeful, I tell my spirit to be thankful, rejoice, and trust in the Lord.
He promises new mercies in every sunrise, and with every morning comes the hope and excitement of a new day.
In these moments, we have a choice to remind ourselves of who we are in Him and how He is holding us steady in His hand. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
Choose to lift your head up and see the way God sees. The more we see things from His perspective the more our faith rises. The more our faith rises the more gain confidence to step out, and when we step out, He always meet us there. God has not only given us permission to dream big, He has created us to grab hold of promises that will propel us into a prosperous future.
Watch the Acoustic Video of “Get Your Hopes Up” shot live at White Sands, NM: