I’ve been hearing a lot about hope in the news and on podcasts recently. That makes me wonder, “How do you define hope? How do you live out your hope?”
As I reflect on the meaning of hope, I distinguish between an everyday definition of hope and biblical hope. Everyday hope is like wishful thinking, “e.g. I hope she gets a job, I hope he follows through.” This kind of hope reflects someone’s legitimate concerns, but it is not the same as biblical hope. Biblical hope points us toward the foundational assurance we have of God’s goodness, because God is “the God of hope.” Paul wrote it this way in Romans, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rms 15.13). This is not wishful thinking. It’s foundational belief based on the relationship we have with the living God. Simply put, we have hope because we know the God of hope who sends the Holy Spirit among us. We don’t go through life hoping things will be okay. No matter what life throws at us, we look at life realistically and rest on the foundation of God’s character that we trust.
How do you live out your (biblical) hope? Biblical hope is courageous, it’s forward-looking, it’s trusting, and it’s a sign of God’s kingdom. When you have a foundational relationship of trust with the God of hope, then this can and is lived out in an almost infinite number of ways. The challenge I’ll leave you with is the challenge that was left with those who first heard the letter of First Peter: “Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it” (1 Peter 3.15). In this time of polarized relationships, diminishing trust in people leading institutions, and some who lead lives without a moral compass, it is crucial to be able to express where and from whom our hope comes! What an incredible gift we can offer others when they ask!
-Kathy Neufeld Dunn, WDC Associate Conference Minister (KS-Based)