… we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

// Romans 5:2-5 NIV

Hope is a frame of mind that changes our entire perspective. When we filter the hard stuff of life through hope, it is an act of care for ourselves, and we give ourselves the opportunity to grow and see God’s moving in our day to day.

When we allow hope to be our lens, we begin to see the progression of the good that suffering can bring into our lives.

Yes, the good that suffering can bring.

Would we know what good is without the hard stuff? Would we see the glory of God in the mundane and those around us without going through tragedy and the upheaval of  “the normal”?

Through suffering, we learn to persevere and keep going. “Keep calm and carry on”, right?

Through each act of perseverance, the shaping of our character is refined and curated to meet the purpose God has given each of us.

As our character builds, hope rises to the surface and truly becomes our everyday perspective. God’s glory is revealed as if we were putting on 3D glasses and seeing everything with clarity and depth.

So the charge for each of us today is to change our lens… to begin to boast in the hope of God’s glory, shaping our everyday around hope.