NFL Draft Hope

I’m claiming that today is one of the most hopeful days of the year, considering that yesterday was Easter and this Thursday is the NFL Draft!

First off, there is a great deal of hope surrounding the Draft, as players are hopeful of being drafted, teams are hopeful that they are selecting players who will turn around their franchise, and fans are hopeful that their favorite team will make the right choices and that the players picked will deliver on their promises.

There is so much hope in the NFL days leading up to the Draft because, at this point, players haven’t gone undrafted, teams haven’t passed on future Hall of Famers yet, and players haven’t become draft busts.

Currently, there is a buzz surrounding every team as they are upbeat about their potential selections, optimistic that they will still be available when it's their turn, and hopeful that their scouting department is making the right recommendations.

Meanwhile, fans are confident that their team will improve this year due to the players they are about to select. The NFL Draftees are hopeful they’ll hear their name called by the team they desire after being assured by their agent that’s where they’ll end up.

Despite all this hope today, we know that the Draft will not go entirely as planned, and the mock drafts will be proven wrong. Teams will make bad decisions, players won’t live up to their high expectations, and fans will be disappointed when their favorite team has another losing season.

As a result, hope disappears while negativity and disappointment take over.

While we parallel this to our lives and the hope we woke up with today (thanks to a wonderful Easter Sunday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ), I wonder how quickly our hope will be challenged and perhaps even fade.

We know that life doesn’t always go according to our plans, that we’ll make mistakes and experience losses, and that negativity and disappointment will threaten to overwhelm us.

But even so, as followers of Jesus, we can remain hopeful. We don’t have to lose the hope we experienced on Easter yesterday because hope remains today and tomorrow when Christ is in us.

So, how do we live as hopeful people filled with optimism and positivity, and be confident and assured?

Lasting hope isn’t found in ourselves, circumstances, or other people. Instead, we must anchor our hope in Jesus, the promises of God, and His unchanging character as revealed in His Word. God is our refuge, and our hope is found in His eternal presence and because of His faithfulness.

Hebrews 6:19 (AMP) says, “This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]—a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells]...”

Our hope isn’t based on this world, so others will take notice when we are hopeful, no matter what we face, and they will wonder why.

1 Peter 3:15 (AMP) tells us, “But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect.”

As followers of Jesus, we have hope of eternal life and know that this current life isn’t all there is. We know that we will face hardships, persecution, challenges, and trials, but our hope is found in the One who gets us through.

We also find hope in the promise of Romans 8:28 (ESV): “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

Our hope is in Jesus, who said He would die and rise again, which He did. Our hope is in Him as He offers us salvation from our sin, and our hope is in the Holy Spirit, who renews and empowers us.

Titus 3:3-7 (CSB) says, “For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.

But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

“He poured out His Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.”

Today, as we watch hope eventually disappear when the NFL draft unfolds, let’s be reminded that the hope in our soul is firm and secure in Christ, so we can live our lives with optimism, confidence, and assurance, regardless of how our circumstances unfold.

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for putting my hope in the wrong things. I desire to be hopeful and inspire hope in others, and I know that’s only possible when my hope is anchored to You. I’m thankful that Jesus has saved me, and I have the promise of eternal life. I’m hopeful that this life isn’t all there is, but You are still working all things together for good. My hope is in Your unchanging Word, character, purposes, and promises. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.