The High Calling of Hope

Hope is a beautiful word. It is ripe with expectation, with longing. Hope means looking forward, not back. Hope is a buoy in life. Without it we would be lost, for the opposite of hope is despair.

A life without hope is desperate indeed.

We sometimes throw the word “hope” around flippantly, without true consideration of the weight that those four little letters strung together carry.

“I hope he calls today.”

“I hope the kids don’t act like fools.”

“I hope I get that promotion.”

There is nothing wrong with these phrases. Our English language demands the use of the word “hope” at times, sliding it right into a sentence effortlessly.

But we cannot lose the implication or meaning behind the word.

Because Hope is a beautiful word.

Hope means to wait for something. To look expectantly toward the future. The Hebrew translation of hope is “qawa”, which means “to trust”. The Greek translation of the word is “elpis”, which means “expectation” or “to look confidently”.

Hope is not a passive term. It carries great weight and meaning, and in a world that feels like it’s burning under the hot fires of despair, Hope is essential.

We “hope” for a great many things, but do we really believe it when we say it?

When we say we hope for something, are we looking with confidence and expectation for that thing to happen? And what does that mean, anyway? How can we “look” for hope?

This is where the active part of the word comes into play, because “hope” is a verb, and verbs require action.

When I hope for something, I cannot sit back and impassively expect it to happen. I need to go out and participate.

I hope to see my children grow into strong, productive leaders in society – men and women who contribute to the world around them.

And now I must actively work to teach them how to do that.

I hope to publish more books in the future, to keep putting words out into the world that entertain and uplift readers.

And now I must actively work to pen those words.

I hope to see reconciliation between people, to see less hatred and more love exchanged on a daily basis.

And now I must actively go out and be a part of that reconciliation.

Do you see how hope works? It is not a nebulous term meant to be tossed flippantly into a sentence in order to connect the subject noun to the prepositional phrase.

Hope is a beautiful word that offers an expectation for the future. We must take the calling of hope seriously.

The outcome of much of life is often out of our hands. I cannot ensure that my children will make it safely to adulthood. I cannot guarantee that my husband will keep his job, or our health will remain solid, or that tragedy won’t befall our family.

But I can hope for these things.

What happens, though, when that which I hoped for doesn’t come to fruition? What happens when the medical diagnosis isn’t what I wanted, or police officers come soberly to my door late at night? What happens when life doesn’t turn out as we hoped?

This is when I turn away from the hope of temporal things – earthly desires which simply cannot be guaranteed – and I place my hope securely in the One who authored hope into being.

I believe there is a God in whom we can place our hope. This is a hope that cannot fail, for it rests securely in the hands of the One who spoke it into existence. Hope in the Lord is how I walk through the heartache of a life that disappoints. This is the hope that keeps me looking forward with confidence.

Hope is beautiful, and it is also sanctifying.Click To Tweet

Where is your hope today? Are you struggling with the weight of the word? Have you found your hope diminishing under the heartache of life’s difficulties?

How can I encourage you in hope today?