For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Hope is one of those words that take on different meanings depending on the person or the situation. One modern definition regards hope as the feeling that what is wanted can be had. As a young adult fresh out of college my hopes were egocentric. I had dreams of a successful career in business and personal rewards. If I worked hard and long enough the hope of financial wealth would be realized. Hope had little to do with the welfare of others and even less with my relationship with God. My hopes were visions of self-indulgence. The Christian faith that was part of my upbringing was nonexistent in my life.
Maturity brought with it different kinds of hope. Hope that I would marry a loving partner; that I would become a kind and attentive father; that financial success would translate to owning many toys that would bring happiness to me and my family. Though many of these hopes involved the well-being of others, they were still merely visions of personal happiness on earth. It was not until I experienced feelings of doubt and even some feelings of hopelessness that my visions changed.
The loss of two sets of parents had a tremendous impact on my life. Watching them suffer with debilitating diseases made me question the fairness of it all. Where was God in this picture? Their passing opened my eyes to the emptiness I had been feeling for quite some time. Something was missing in my life. It was at this point that I found God and the power of hope. Hope is not getting something. Hope is trust and the ability to rely upon the goodness of God. The power of hope lies in the belief that God has a plan for all of us. We may not be able to see God’s plan and His plan can sometimes lead us into darkness. But faith tells us “there is nothing stronger than the light of hope and love which is God.” We must always keep our hope alive. During this season of Advent, we should never believe in a hopeless end. We must realize that God is the endless hope.
Jay Dubinsky
Hope is one of those words that take on different meanings depending on the person or the situation. One modern definition regards hope as the feeling that what is wanted can be had. As a young adult fresh out of college my hopes were egocentric. I had dreams of a successful career in business and personal rewards. If I worked hard and long enough the hope of financial wealth would be realized. Hope had little to do with the welfare of others and even less with my relationship with God. My hopes were visions of self-indulgence. The Christian faith that was part of my upbringing was nonexistent in my life.
Maturity brought with it different kinds of hope. Hope that I would marry a loving partner; that I would become a kind and attentive father; that financial success would translate to owning many toys that would bring happiness to me and my family. Though many of these hopes involved the well-being of others, they were still merely visions of personal happiness on earth. It was not until I experienced feelings of doubt and even some feelings of hopelessness that my visions changed.
The loss of two sets of parents had a tremendous impact on my life. Watching them suffer with debilitating diseases made me question the fairness of it all. Where was God in this picture? Their passing opened my eyes to the emptiness I had been feeling for quite some time. Something was missing in my life. It was at this point that I found God and the power of hope. Hope is not getting something. Hope is trust and the ability to rely upon the goodness of God. The power of hope lies in the belief that God has a plan for all of us. We may not be able to see God’s plan and His plan can sometimes lead us into darkness. But faith tells us “there is nothing stronger than the light of hope and love which is God.” We must always keep our hope alive. During this season of Advent, we should never believe in a hopeless end. We must realize that God is the endless hope.
Jay Dubinsky