I was given an assignment last week that I need to have put together to share with a group tonight. If it hadn’t been for the timely reminders from one of the members I probably would have never of gotten around to it. As it is I’ve obviously waited to the last minute, but that’s nothing new.
This assignment is on Hope, but it isn’t to come up with some theological break thru or divine understanding on, but for us to share with each other what the word means to us. While I haven’t gotten to the assignment till now I have been thinking about it over that past few days. When I used to teach Sunday School I’d often start out with the dictionary definition for something, building my lesson from there and I find myself doing the same thing with this.
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hope Pronunciation Key – [hohp] –noun 1. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best: to give up hope. 2. a particular instance of this feeling: the hope of winning. 3. grounds for this feeling in a particular instance: There is little or no hope of his recovery. 4. a person or thing in which expectations are centered: The medicine was her last hope. 5. something that is hoped for: Her forgiveness is my constant hope. –verb (used with object) 6. to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence. 7. to believe, desire, or trust: I hope that my work will be satisfactory. –verb (used without object) 8. to feel that something desired may happen: We hope for an early spring. 9. Archaic. to place trust; rely (usually fol. by in). —Idiom 10. hope against hope, to continue to hope, although the outlook does not warrant it: We are hoping against hope for a change in her condition. |
faith Pronunciation Key – [feyth] –noun 1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability. 2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact. 3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims. 4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty. 5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith. 6. the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith. 7. the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one’s promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles. 8. Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved. —Idiom 9. in faith, in truth; indeed: In faith, he is a fine lad. |
By looking at these definitions and knowing how I personally use them, Hope and Faith are synonymous for me but often times they are more of an ethereal abstract than something that I give a lot of weight too. Phrases like “I hope I pass this test”, “I hope Aunt Susie gets well.”, “I hope I’ll get that new job.”, “I hope he/she likes me.” are often nothing more than a rote cliche. And I mean by that I don’t put much store in them. But that’s not really the question that was asked of us. The question wasn’t how much stock I put in hope, but whether I have hope and what do I have it in.
For as much as play the skeptical, glass is half empty, cynic I do have hope. But it’s not something that I bandy about. I’ve learned painfully over the years where not to put hope. I don’t put my hope in others, at least not where it really counts. And that’s not my being some bah humbug curmudgeon. That’s me recognizing the fact that we’re all fallen creatures and in that vein the real lesson learned is not to put too much faith/hope in my self. I know my failings and shortcomings all too well, even when I have the best intentions in mind. No, people will all too often wind up disappointing you.
So where does that leave me? I really only see 2 possible outcomes.
1) I become a hermit, removing myself as much as possible from all social interactions thereby shielding myself from the false expectations that I place on others. Of course that doesn’t fix the problems that I create for myself.
2) I find something or someone else to place my faith, my hope, my expectation on. Because, I/we/those around us are destined to fail. Maybe not in huge catastrophic ways, but fail they/I never the less will.
So at this point I’m going to take a huge gi-normous leap, and it is one of faith. See for me this conclusion (perhaps not in these exact terms) is the same one that I came to in 1987 and it’s the one the brought me to my knees before my Lord. The only constant that I’ve ever been able to find in life has been God. He’s always been a part of my life even when I didn’t recognize him as being such. When everything and everyone else has failed, it’s His promises that have been there to hold me and keep me going.
So where does that leave poor Aunt Susie? Do I hope that she will get better? Well it is a wanted feeling that I have. But here is where I can get into turmoil with my beliefs and things like Gods will, my free will, predestination and all the rest of my Protestant, Calvin theology. I can pray that Auntie will get well. I can place my faith/hope in God hearing my prayers and answering them in the way that I wish. But how much faith/hope do I personally place in my petitions being the same as His will? That’s where I can wind up paralyzing myself to the point of non-action. I don’t have as much faith as a mustard seed. So instead I lean on my knowledge that what ever His will is for Aunt Susie; in His great design, it is ultimately for His glory. And I realize this is a leap that some will never understand, but it’s the one that I must take. It’s the one that makes sense to me.
So for my affliction, this personal sin of mine that this group is helping me battle, I place no hope in myself. I have failed far too many times to ever count. I fear that my faith doesn’t put much weight behind my prayers for deliverance either. That however doesn’t leave me down cast. Instead, where I do place my hope and faith is in the knowledge that if God wanted me healed I would be. If this be my personal thorn then I place my hope and my faith in the knowledge that it is something for me to grow, learn and teach others by.
Sorry if this seems like muddled thought – it is to me too. 
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