How to hope and wait when you are hopeless

Have you ever had to wait for something for so long that it almost seemed useless? Are you waiting right now for some change to happen? Do you feel lost or abandoned by people around you and even God? If you answered yes to any of the above questions then today’s post on how to hope and wait when you are hopeless is just for you!

Are you waiting like me?

For that new beginning post Covid?

Or maybe in your personal life…

Are you waiting for that change of heart?
For a miracle?
For an outcome?

Everyone advises to hope and wait when you are hopeless.

“This phase will pass.” “Hope for the best.”

But what do you do while you are waiting? Especially when it is taking years and years (like Covid)

Will talking about it help? Maybe.

If you try to battle it, will your course change? If you worry over it, will it take away all your pain? Will it reduce the struggles you’re bound with?

Hmm.

Uncertainty can makes us wary, restless and desperate, isn’t it?

There was one person in the Bible who also waited years and years for freedom, justice and reunion with his family.

Yes, I’m referring to Joseph.

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How did Joseph wait when he was hopeless

At a young age, Joseph was sold to foreigners by his own brothers and sent to Egypt.

Once in Egypt, God’s grace helped him find favour with the captain of the palace guards. Yet he was again wrongly accused of rape and imprisoned.

Inside the prison, God’s grace helped him find favour with the jailer. It was God’s grace that helped him interpret the dreams of the wine steward and chief baker too.

When the wine steward rejoined the King’s palace, it was God’s grace again that moved him to take Joseph’s name when the King had dreams.

And yet, even after being appointed the governor of Egypt, Joseph had to wait for at least 8 years to come face to face with his brothers and father.

It is in this reunion of forgiveness and sacrifice that Joseph found the purpose in his waiting and suffering. A purpose that not only served him justice and freedom from all his grieving but one that helped a million other people during the terrible famine.

Fortunately for Joseph his purpose was revealed within his lifetime.

But here’s a hard fact- you don’t always have that outcome when you wait.

Like Joseph, you may not get to see if your offenders are punished or if they feel remorse for what they did to you.

But that doesn’t mean that God is unfaithful to you or has forgotten you.

In the 20 long years that Joseph suffered, he may have wished to see his family again but he did not look for vengeance. Because had he gone down the lanes of bitterness that comes from wishing these things, he would not have found God’s grace.

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A few ways to wait when you are hopeless

Yes you can learn a lot about waiting in hopeless times from Joseph’s story. So if you are right now forced to wait for a change or transformation that seems endless and even hopeless-there are a few things that you can do to feel secure.

Wait prayerfully

Tell God about your difficulty. Put the whole matter in His hand. Cast all your burdens on Him! Look for His will and direction.

Wait patiently

Accept your case as it stands, simply and with your whole heart. Commit your ways to Him!

Wait in introspection

Reflect on how this difficult time has made you stronger. What skills have you picked up? What have you learnt of the world around you? What have you learnt about yourself?

Wait attentively

Be mindful of how you approach this waiting period. Projecting your disappointments and fears on others and self-loathing wouldn’t help. Wishing for vengeance is only going to make you bitter. Rather consider how you can express compassion or love to the people in your circle of influence. Your knowledge, network and experience can help people with similar difficulties.

Wait faithfully

Express your unstaggering confidence in God. Believe that He’s already working on your situation. Live like the answer is just around the corner.

Remember –

However extraordinary and unexpected it may seem,
However near the fall or danger you may be
However different your views are
Do not snatch the guiding reins out of His hands.