Hope is basically an optimistic disposition regarding an anticipation of positive results with regard to certain events and circumstances in one`s life or in the surrounding world in general. In its simplest form, hope is a faith in the power of human efforts and possibilities. Hope is a form of mental attitude which tends to approve of whatever people do or things that can be done to make a better world. Hope is usually contrasted with despair, although sometimes it is paired with happiness.
Why do we need hope? First of all, hope is necessary to motivate us. Without it, we are more likely to give up and to give in. For example, a person who lacks financial means may have a greater need of hope than someone who is wealthy. One can only be encouraged by hope when he has lost everything he once thought was important.
Hope and joy then are two distinctly different emotions, despite their close proximity to one another. When I was a teenager, I remember feeling so sad and so hopeless that I decided to see hope as the very essence of life. I wanted to try out everything to get better. I believed that the more I tried, the more I would learn. I believed that one must not lose heart when one`s hopes of getting better fizzle out.
In contrast, when I went through the process of renewal, transformation, and freedom from addiction, I did not experience hope. Rather, what I experienced was joy. I experienced my renewing and transformation by having the will to change, by working out my issues, by getting healthy, eating right, and getting the support I needed. The same thing happened to me when I saw my new testament written in the mirror.
What is the difference between the biblical hope and joy? As you may already know, the Bible defines the word hope as, "the ability to be willing to wait" or "to be patient." But what does it mean to be patient? How do you view the waiting or the patient? What does the word "patient" mean for you?
The meaning of "patient" for Christians is somewhat related to hope. Many Christians are quick to point out the many problems in our country. Many Christians readily assume that these problems are because of bad parenting, immorality, and other reasons, but the reality is that most problems in this country have their root in Christian poverty. This root causes a lot of despair and a lot of grief. Because of these issues, a lot of Christians feel like the only thing that they can do is to give up hope.
What I realized is that I didn't have to give up hope. I didn't have to hope that my generation would understand, love, and trust me enough to send me to heaven. I didn't have to hope that someday my suffering would end. I didn't have to hope that I would go to Heaven and see Jesus.
Instead, I did everything I could to get better, which included working on myself, putting myself into the Word, reading the Word daily, going to prayer, and praying. This worked, and I'm so grateful for the grace that God has granted me with to not only hope without faith, but also to know that He loves me and helps me with all that He has chosen to help me with. I now sit here in recovery and I'm so excited to see what God has in store for me in the future.