Hope

Hope is an interesting word. When I was younger I used phrases with the word “hope” in them a lot.  I used the phrase so often that the word hope had strayed away from its intentional meaning and had developed a very negative power over my mentality. I often said “well, I sure hope so” sarcastically in a conversation and “let’s hope” as a way of saying “well, nothing else worked…” I even hoped for things when I had absolutely no intention of ever getting them. I hoped when I had no other ideas, no other solutions, and believed that a miracle was the only way for this thing to ever happen. So needless to say, when I became a Christian and met people using the word HOPE I immediately judged them as faithless un-believing people. I would think, “you’re hoping for something? Why not believe that GOD can do it? Believe…don’t Hope!”

But then one day I stopped myself and realized that maybe, just maybe, I don’t really know the meaning of hope.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hope as this:

1. to cherish a desire with anticipation
2. to desire with expectation of obtainment
3. to expect with confidence

No where in that definition do I read doubt or disbelief. In fact, the words cherish, desire, anticipate and expect are not only POSITIVE words, but they sure seem like words I want in my everyday, faith-filled vocabulary! The word HOPE now has a new meaning in my life. Hope is anxiously anticipating the future while finding peace in my current situation.

• I am hoping for the salvation of my friends and family.
• I am hoping for a beautiful, perfect first house.
• I am hoping for the right connections for my husband’s music to grow and develop.
• I am hoping for my church’s prayers to be answered.
• I am hoping for my future.

What are YOU hoping for?

Want to read more about hope? Check out (In)Courage for more posts on this topic.