Brave Enough to Hope

This post was originally published on The Road to Brave.

There are many things young adults are good at, culturally speaking, in today’s day and age. 

Unfortunately, hope is not one of those things. 

In fact, given our rates of depression, overwhelming anxiety, and death by hopelessness, it’s probably arguable that recent generations’ struggle with hope is one of the things we’re worst at. 

And what even is hope, anyway? Oxford Languages describes it as a feeling of optimism, of good things coming. But feelings come and go. So hope does, too? 

Apparently. 

According to modern thought, hope is simply an emotion, a feeling, a thought — nothing more. Not to critique Emily Dickinson’s works (goodness no), but if hope is merely “that thing with feathers/that perches in the soul”, we’re doomed. 

But if hope wasn’t just a feeling, if it was a reality instead, that would change things. If hope was something that existed whether we felt it or not, if hope was actually a foundational reality — that would change things. 

It would mean that, particularly in the absence of supporting emotions (or in the presence of antagonistic ones), an act of hope may be one of the bravest, most courageous decisions we can make. 

Not sometimes, but all the time. 

The Theology of Hope
I work for an education program called Unbound, and for the past few years, our student leadership event has focused on the concept of hope. This spring, we dug into the theology of hope, the honor of hope, and the reality of hope. 

Eph 1:18-21 | …having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that he worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

So often, we seek to base our hope on how we feel about something, or on the physical likelihood of something occurring. At the end of the day, if our beliefs about hope are based on these things, our hope can’t be eternal because its roots aren’t. But what if our hope is built on Who Christ is and what He has done? Those roots withstand storm and drought. 

To be honest, every time I’ve spoken or written about hope, I’ve trembled inside. Because no matter how great it is to talk about hope, it is a massively different thing when hope becomes personal. When it’s our losses and our pain that are stripping away every feeling of hope that we have. To base our hope on Who Christ is isn’t to deny the reality and intensity of those experiences and emotions. It is, however, to base our hope in the one thing that will anchor us fast in the midst of that reality and intensity. 

The Honor of Hope
Romans 5:1-6 | Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

There are so many things that put us to shame in this world. Our own choices and decisions and those of others. Mistakes. Miscalculations. Unfulfilled promises. 

But hope that is grounded in Christ is not one of those things. That hope will never, ever put us to shame.  

In the midst of a battlefield, we look forward to the garden. In the midst of a war-torn creation, we look forward to the renewal of all things. In the midst of chaos, we look forward to peace. We look forward to the reality of things being, at long last, made right. 

And if that were nothing more than a wisp of thought, baseless and unfounded, oh, we should be pitied! But the truth of the matter is, that hope will never put us to shame. It is a guaranteed promise. Even as we endure the storms of life on this side of eternity, we know that the promises of God will be fulfilled.

We have hope because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We have hope because, even though we were powerless, Christ died for us. Us.  And there is no disgrace in holding fast to that truth.

The Reality of Hope
Hebrews 6:17-20 | So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf…

Hope for eternity is a beautiful thing. It is a gift of worth beyond reckoning. And yet — it is not all. 

We expect and look forward to the reality of renewal, to eternity with Him, to the resurrection of our bodies, to the setting-right of it all. We get to look forward to being together with our loved ones who are already gone. We get to see the making-new of all things. 

And, that hope has a place in the reality of today. 

We may live in a war zone, but our Commander isn’t going anywhere. We have a reason today to hold fast to the hope set before us — not just a hope that will someday be realized, but also a hope that gives us endurance and courage in the midst of today’s battle. We have a hope that is a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. We have a hope that enters into the very presence of God Himself, and that is stronger than all that we may endure.

In the End
I wonder if, in the end, choosing to hope is one of the very bravest, most courageous things a human can do. Hurt is real. Pain is real. Suffering is real. 

But to choose hope is to say yes, I fully acknowledge and do not shy away from that, and there’s something even more real, and that is the presence and love of Christ that will not let me go. 

I wonder if, in the end, it’s far easier to choose to hope in the presence of a community. I think so. Like Aaron and Hur holding up Moses’ arms, sometimes we all need someone who can, in the words of my sister, “hold hope” for us when we are struggling to hold it for ourselves. When our candle is flickering, we need others to lend us their flames. 

I wonder if, in the end, our decision to hope spreads seeds like dandelions. Maybe our choice to hope is also taking a stand for all that is good and beautiful and true. Maybe our words and actions plant bits of hope in the lives of others, where they can take root and bear fruit. 

I wonder. 

This week, this life, may we — by God’s grace alone — be brave enough to hope.