The Hope Experiment: Why Hope Changes How We Live
A practical Christian study of “The Hope Experiment: Why Hope Changes How We Live,” with clear application for faith, relationships, and everyday life.
The Hope Experiment
Play the original Excel Still More episode here without leaving the article.
Name the struggle
I have this friend on Facebook who only shares strange and interesting stories and photos. And last week he shared this story, and I jumped in on Google and read, I don't know, ten articles about it, verifying some facts, and now I would love to share it with you.
And there will be a number question, but behind it all is today's title, The Hope Experiment.
Understand what feeds it
The wild rats had no idea what was happening, they were panicking, they were sure it was over, there was no hope, and so they just gave up very early. The domesticated rats were used to being put into things and out of things and moved from one to the other and fed by researchers, and so they believed that at some point they might be saved.
I don't know the full details of the experiment, but I hope they rewarded a few and actually saved them.
Choose a steadier response
That became known as the hope experiment, and while I do have some application thoughts for you, there'll be no more talk of rats or tubes or water or drowning, but there will be talk of how hope, even for a moment, even from one person, can completely change your mental state and allow you to hold, to press on, to fight, to succeed in a way that was never possible before. I want to very briefly break this down into three things for you to consider about your own life and then allow me to turn that attention to others.
First of all, there can be no striving, no true purpose to invigorate the soul without the hope of God in your life.
Move forward with hope
I mentioned some things earlier in your family or in your business or financial life or with your body, or maybe even in your faith, and you feel like this is different, this is longer, this is too much, I am too tired. Please, in soul and in mind, remember the hope that you found in your friends, the hope that you found in people who love you and went out of their way to be there for you and go and find them again.
And if you can't get to them right now, because you are right in the middle of treading this water and you just have no opportunity yet to do it, then keep treading because they are there for you.
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where do I see the problem or opportunity described in “The Hope Experiment: Why Hope Changes How We Live” in my own life?
- 02What Scripture or spiritual principle in this study most needs my attention?
- 03What one specific change can I make this week to put this teaching into practice?
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