“Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear.” – President Snow, The Hunger Games
I’m not sure I agree entirely with President Snow. Hope may not be the only thing stronger than fear, but it is a strong antidote to fear. A powerful tool. A weapon to wield against the fire breathing dragon that fear impersonates.
Hope. Keep it in your arsenal.
Because hope is stronger than fear.
Nine years ago, I was in the pit of fear, probably the darkest place in my life. It was so dark and I was so deep in the trenches of anxiety that I could barely see the ray of hope breaking through at the very top of the pit. There were days I almost lost sight of it altogether. Almost. But I held on. I clung to hope. The hope that I would get well, the hope that there were better days ahead, the hope that God had a plan for me, a purpose in my suffering.
Fear is wretched in and of itself but it’s especially wretched because it breeds so many other things. Avoidance. Despair. Shame. Complacency. To name a few.
But hope. Thank God for hope. There is always hope. Shining in the darkness. Breaking through. Breaking free. Breaking the chain of fear. Hope, the antidote to fear.
A mentor of mine often says, “Where there is life, there is hope.” And I’ve clung to that so many times in my life.
You may be in the darkness right now. You may not feel hopeful in the slightest. But, friend, have faith (a close cousin to hope, by the way).
“Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Even if you can’t see it. Even if you don’t know when or how freedom is coming, hold onto whatever shred of hope you have.
Anxiety can feel like sinking sand. You may feel stuck, but I promise you there is a branch, an arm, a ledge of hope nearby you can grab onto.
Believe in better days to come. Hope extinguishes fear.
The Hope Antidote 