The Science of Hope and the Secret of Overcoming

Would you be surprised to hear there really is such a thing as the science of hope? A UCLA psychologist named James Coleman did a study on humans who lose hope. He discovered shipwreck victims who lose hope die in just a few days even though physiologically they could survive many more days. The conclusion of the Coleman study was that value, meaning and hope are catalysts for mobilizing energy and finding satisfaction. No matter what the trial, the secret to overcoming has a spiritual dimension.
Each month my article in Home Cures That Work relates to the spiritual dimension of health and wellness and this month my point is that our hope is not simply in our ability to last indefinitely out on the high seas. Our hope is in the certainty that someone is coming for you. That someone is God and the one he sent to the rescue is Jesus. The Bible calls him our sure and certain hope. The certainty is that when we call out to him, he answers.
Storm Warning!
The forecast in the Bible is for more and more difficult days ahead. Focusing this monthly issue on survival is very timely as right now people in every part of the world are sorting through the present realities of recessions and depressions, shortages and civil unrest. The things we have always taken for granted, even things like food and safety, are not guaranteed any more. Unemployment and underemployment in America is now into the double digits and regardless of your political persuasion, surely you concur this will not be getting better anytime soon.
Only a fool would believe government has the answers; and I say this as one who is an elected member of the South Dakota House of Representatives. Waiting for government to come to the rescue is a false hope, just ask the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. My encouragement to you is to take steps now to insulate yourself and your family from additional economic and social unrest.