From Hope to Action: Living Out Your Purpose in the New Year

The Power of Hope

The coming of a New Year brings hope to many people. It brings hope of good things to come, of positive changes and maybe even some extra self care! Hope is good, but without action, does not yield results (in most cases).

Many people use the start of a new year as a season of renewal. For instance, they create resolutions (or wish lists). These resolutions usually die out because there is no solid plan of action and no accountability. There may be a little “hope” that they will follow through, but not much else. Drive Research (driveresearch.com) wrote an article about 2024 resolutions. They stated, “Recent research has shown that just 9% of Americans actually keep their resolutions throughout the year.” You can find their article here.

Hope is a God-given gift that fuels perseverance and faith. It must be cultivated to yield wanted results to thrive!! Read on to learn more about: transitioning from hope to action to live your purpose.

What Hope Provides

Hope is a source of strength in difficult times. Romans 15:13 confirms this: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.” (usccb.org) Hope will help you maintain a positive outlook so you are able to see the light.

Resilience and trust in God’s plan are built and maintained. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.” (usccb.org) Knowing who God created you to be will help you live out His plan for you.

We Grew Together in Hope

When my husband, as the main income, lost his job, everything seemed quite hopeless. He was not the only one unemployed due to the crash in the auto industry. When he applied to jobs, thousands of other people did, too. We had just registered two of our three children in parochial school. There would be no additional financial aid, because it had already been processed. How would we pay rent? How would we buy groceries? How would we afford gas to take the kids to school (if we figured out how to pay tuition)? My income covered the cost for the five of us to maintain health insurance. There wasn’t much left after that.

This was a time that we leaned into hope and into our faith. In fact, our faith as a family grew together. During this stressful financial time, we learned, in hope, how to pray together better. We also learned how to accept help from others and even how to be of better service to other people in need. God gave us new hope as a family to grow together in faith despite our circumstances. We took action based on that hope.

Hope and Action are Supported in Scripture

Take a look at the following scripture verses (usccb.org):

James 2:17: “So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Hebrews 11:1: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”

Philippians 4:13: “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me”

The Bible teaches us that faith without works is dead. It also provides a definition of faith and teaches us that we have strength through Christ who empowers us. Faith and hope go hand in hand, but both still require action. That is what we are empowered to do. Take action. Depending on the situation, that action will vary, but even inaction can be action.

Turning Hope into Action

Here are some practical steps to live out your hope:

1. Pray for Guidance: Seek God’s will for your life. To do that, you need to understand who God created you to be. There are many ways you can do that. A great start is assessments. I would recommend taking both spiritual and non spiritual assessments.Two of my favorites are CliftonStrengths® and Hessel Church Spiritual Gifts Assessment. Together, these provide a great foundation for uncovering your purpose.

2. Set Faith-Based Goals: Define what hope looks like for you. There are two great techniques that you can use to create your goals, SMART goals and DUMB goals. I find it is easier to incorporate faith into DUMB goals and help you to create a vision for your life. Check out this post for more information: SMART vs DUMB Goals.

3. Take Small Steps: Break down goals into actionable, daily tasks. After creating goals, you need to make sure they are broken down into manageable steps. Ensure they are realistic. It is better to start smaller and create success than to provide reasons that you feel like a failure. Think of fail as a First Attempt In Learning. Embrace it to move forward.

4. Stay Accountable: Share your journey with a mentor or faith community. I have an accountability partner, do you? It is not my spouse or a relative, but another professional. We encourage each other to set goals and then we check back on our progress. There are no excuses, just commitment.

5. Reflect and Adjust: Regularly assess your progress. It is fine to not always meet your goals as long as you are putting forth the effort. Remember, hope needs action. You can always  recommit to your purpose.

Let me know if you need help with any of these steps.

Living Your Hope Daily

It is important to have hope in everyday life. Afterall, life happens. We must stay strong in faith and hope. Here are some examples of how to integrate hope into everyday life:

Serving others. This helps keep you grounded. You will appreciate and be gracious for what you have and what you don’t have. Also, not only will the people you serve gain new hope, but you will be fulfilling a purpose.

Practicing gratitude. This will keep you focused on the positive to keep hope alive. Don’t dwell on the negative. Start and end each day with some form of gratitude. Once you get that going, sprinkle in gratitude throughout the day. Make sure to express gratitude for other people. A simple ‘Thank you for (insert what here).” will teach others how to be grateful.

Building routines rooted in faith and discipline. If you have none, start small. It can be a prayer routine, attending Mass or service regularly or joining a prayer team. The options are endless. Find what works for you.

These actions will transform hope into a tangible reality.

A New Year, A Renewed Life

Remember the importance of turning hope into action. It does take commitment.You can do it! Step out in faith, trusting God to guide your steps. You are called “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19 (usccb,org)  Although it may look different for each of us, it does begin with hope!

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What are your hopes for the New Year?

Do you have a plan of action?