What Is Hope?

We use the word hope rather casually.

Usually, when we say we hope something will happen, we mean that we would like it to happen. We want a particular outcome, but we’re not certain it will actually occur.

That kind of hope includes uncertainty.

There are many things I hope for. 

And there’s nothing necessarily wrong with hoping for something. Some of our hopes may become reality. Others may not.

But when Scripture speaks about hope, it gives the word considerably more substance. The writer of Hebrews connects hope with faith:

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
—Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

Those words help us see an important distinction.

That doesn’t mean Christians always expect circumstances to turn out favorably.

Hope is not optimism. Optimism looks at the possibilities and says, “I think things are going to get better.” Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t.

Hope isn’t simply positive thinking either. There can be value in choosing not to dwell continually on what is negative, but Christian hope is more than training ourselves to think positively.

And hope certainly isn’t denial.

Biblical hope doesn’t require us to pretend suffering isn’t painful, disappointment doesn’t hurt, or circumstances aren’t difficult. Scripture gives us plenty of examples of faithful people who were remarkably honest about what they were experiencing.

Christian hope allows us to look honestly at what is happening—and still believe that what we can presently see is not the whole story. Paul puts it this way:

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
—Romans 8:24–25 (ESV)

There is something important here.

Hope lives in the space between what God has promised and what we can presently see.

That is why faith and hope belong so closely together. 

We can’t manufacture that confidence by wishing harder. We don’t create it by convincing ourselves that everything will turn out the way we want.

Paul adds one more dimension to biblical hope: we wait.

That may be one of the more difficult parts of hope. It’s easier for me to wait when I know the date and time when my desire will become reality. But often I don’t know the timing—or even whether the outcome I desire will become reality. 

We live between what God has promised and what we can see right now. Sometimes a considerable distance lies between the two. 

Paul says, “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Biblical hope gives us a way to wait without pretending we can see the outcome. 

Perhaps this is what makes Christian hope so different.

Our hope is not based on our ability to predict what will happen. It doesn’t require us to ignore difficult circumstances or convince ourselves that everything will eventually turn out the way we want.

That doesn’t answer every question we have about the future. We will still want things we can’t be certain will happen. Circumstances will not always unfold as we wish. And there will still be seasons when we must wait for what we cannot yet see.

But we don’t wait without hope.

Maybe the question isn’t simply, “What am I hoping will happen?” Perhaps the better question is, “What am I trusting God for that He has actually promised?”

That question matters because there is a difference between something I deeply desire and something God has promised.

My desires may be sincere. They may even be good. 

But biblical hope doesn’t turn my desires into God’s promises—it provides confidence to trust God when I can’t see or understand.

It teaches me to anchor my confidence in what God has said.

As you move through this week, pay attention to the things you find yourself hoping for. Ask yourself: 

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I’d love to hear how this reflection has connected with something God is doing in your life. Your reply means a lot.

May you have a blessed week.