Self-Reminder: Move from Emptiness to Hope

Admit it. There are days in your life that seem to be empty, devoid of meaning. There are moments when you seem to be just waiting for something to happen. There are times when nothing seems to fall into their proper places. These are grueling hours of seemingly physical immobility and yet, at the same time, an inner restless wandering – searching and looking for more.

Life becomes an unwanted routine; a routine of total unproductiveness and disarray. You do what is easy for you rather than what you should be doing. Life is not what you expected. Who you think you are and what you actually are become two separate realities. You are no longer you. You cannot move on. You revert to your old self – the unredeemed self, the more selfish self, the self you do not like, and the self you have tried your best to hide.

Yet, amidst all of these, you know there is more. Your heart is restless for more. At the back of your mind, you still believe God wants more from you… and for you. You know that there is more to life than what you see and currently experience. There always seems to be a glimmer of hope.

You know that life does not really go in circles. You do not return exactly to where you were before. Rather, you believe that life is an upward spiral and you keep going up. You might experience the same things in a similar manner but you are not the same you. You have become different because of your previous experiences. Well, both good and bad. You could have become either broken-hearted or hard-hearted. You could have learned to care more or not care at all. You could have chosen to love or chosen to let love go. But, there is still something that you have learned; every experience changes you – for better or for worse.

You might not yet fully understand it but God indeed changes people from one degree of glory to another. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” You do not see the entirety of God’s plan. You may even be at a loss right now and overwhelmed by the demands of life that, ironically, causes you to freeze at the moment. You sometimes do not see nor feel the presence of God. Yet, God is there; the Spirit always moves. God is with you; crying with you, frustrated with you, embracing you. Yes, He allows things to happen that you may come to know yourself more and love God more. Life is never truly hopeless.

In every struggle, believe that there is always a way out. You can be sure that “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Whether life is full, empty or somewhere in between, God is always there. God will see you through. God never gives us anything beyond the strength that He gives. There is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, somehow, you need to work in order to get to the end, to be soaked in the light. Miracles can happen that will suddenly get you out of your predicament, but most of the time, God allows you to make choices that will make things happen. Open your eyes that you might find where the light is. Acknowledge where you are and choose to move on. Do not put too much weight on your shoulders by always setting your expectations on yourself too high. Sometimes, one step at a time is enough.

You have to remember that there is no struggle, no emptiness, nor even busyness, that is beyond the reach of God. Most of the time, it is up to you to see God’s hand at work. He has not left you to fend for yourself. He has been giving you the strength to endure all along. He has even given you the restlessness, that you might seek Him more. He is always there, watching and waiting, and giving you enough freedom to make the choice to be better today than yesterday. But more than anything else, He has not ceased loving you. He will never stop blessing you, in more ways than you can imagine.

So you can always make the choice – you can recognize that life remains a blessing from God or believe that God has abandoned you. Either way, God’s choice for you is the same. You are always invited to enjoy His presence, to respond to His love. You can choose to run away but He will always hound you. He is a persistent lover who will always woe you to Himself. You cannot change God’s personal love for you. There is no one else in the world that will love you in the same way that God does. You can stop allowing the things that you do define you. Rather, you can let God’s love define who you are.

Moreover, you can always choose to hope. You can always look forward to better days. You can always long for heaven. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies… So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10,16-18).

You might not like where you are right now. You might not even want who you are now. But every day presents a chance to move on. Choose to believe in God’s love. Choose to hope. Choose to believe for a better tomorrow. You know that your heart will always be restless unless it rests in God.