Hope Wins Out

I was taught early on that if you can’t think ahead with your goals and plans, then you’ll have a hard time deciding what to do on Monday morning. It’s that simple. Without a sense of purpose, our daily actions tend to spiral into routines—and sometimes, those routines don’t lead anywhere good. In fact, they can trap us. You’ve probably heard the old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

But here’s the thing: God thinks ahead. In fact, He thought ahead before we even existed. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:4-5, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.”

Think about that. Before the foundation of the world, God had a plan. And Christmas? It’s the fruition of that plan. The birth of Jesus wasn’t some last-minute idea or a desperate attempt to fix a broken world. It was the culmination of a divine strategy crafted in eternity—a rescue mission for humanity, designed to bring us hope.

Hope isn’t just wishful thinking. In the biblical sense, hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised, and its strength is rooted in His faithfulness. Romans 5:5 says, “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.” Hope has a tangible effect. It moves us forward, helping us think ahead instead of being stuck in cycles that lead nowhere.

So what does that mean for us today? It means breaking out of patterns that don’t work and aligning ourselves with God’s vision for our lives. If we’re stuck doing the same thing, hoping for change but not taking steps in faith, we’re likely to stay right where we are. But when we invite God into the equation and trust in His plans, our Mondays (and every other day) take on new meaning.

God’s ultimate plan shows us that hope isn’t passive. It’s active. It’s rooted in faith that moves us toward something greater. The Christmas story—a baby born in a manger, angels proclaiming peace, shepherds kneeling in awe—reminds us that hope wins out. No matter how dark it seems, God’s plans are already in motion, and they’re good.

So, as you think about your goals and plans, remember this: You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. God thought ahead for you. Lean into that hope. Break out of the cycles. Trust that the One who planned Christmas is the same One who has a plan for your life.