Confident Hope
by Mike Killebrew
I just had a friend tell me “I don’t hope, I’m confident.”
I was on the phone with a dear friend who was asking me what I was working on today. It was just a simple conversation starter question as we were about to catch up on more important things. I shared that I’m about to begin writing an article on the topic of “hope.” It is my most pressing task for the morning on the to-do list, so I shared. As a joke, I asked him, “Do you have any inspiration for me?” He paused for a moment and responded with that statement. “No, I don’t hope; I’m confident.” Without the need to unpack his statement, we quickly moved on in the conversation. I knew what he was communicating. He was clearly talking about his confidence in eternity with Jesus and hope just didn’t seem like a strong enough word for him.
After concluding the phone call, I continued to process his statement. Ironically, it became just the inspiration I needed to start writing and provide the opener I needed … Ha! Thank you, Karl! I’m not a linguist or an etymologist in any way but his statement sent me down a mental path of unpacking the meaning and use of the word hope in our culture.
After some self-reflection I’m certainly guilty of using the word hope flippantly while also at the same time using it with great seriousness in the context of my faith. In our culture the word hope has been incorrectly used enough that sometimes with its use we ultimately express our uncertainty or lack of confidence about something in the future. I believe that we often use the word hope when instead we should use the word wish. Like so many words in our English language, we use it in such a variety of ways that context makes all the difference in how it is interpreted. I’m afraid the word hope can often be incorrectly used with a “fingers crossed” or wishful thinking mentality and meaning.
Sometimes we use it to express a desire for something good in the future without having much confidence or expectation of actual fulfillment. When we use it like this, it is a misuse. The repeated misuse has watered it down to mean far less than the full potential. I use it and hear it used so frequently in this “less-than” context. Some examples of this might be “hope you have a good day,” simply used as a greeting or salutation. At our house we frequently hear our younger kids saying “I hope I get to stay up late tonight,” which is clearly just wishful thinking without much reality of it happening. My wife and I often hear from the kids “hope statements” based around certain foods or experiences. “I hope we go to El Rodeo for lunch!” Or here is a frequent one: “I hope we get to have ice cream tonight after dinner.” To clarify, we like ice cream but their hope for it doesn’t often turn into a future reality as we usually reserve ice cream for special occasions. These are all examples of everyday use of the word hope that would probably better describe a wish. I’m fearful of a mixed message because hope in our future in Jesus is certain.
There is so much contrast between our frequent and flippant use of the word hope in our culture and how we see the word used in Scripture.
It is a serious word found in the Bible with serious meaning. I would argue that when the word hope is used in Scripture it is often in direct opposition to how we often use the word in everyday life, outside of a conversation about spiritual matters.
The biblical use of this word is more of a confident expression of what is known to be true and having complete confidence of both present and future good. There is nothing flippant about it. Let’s look at some biblical examples.
Paul is not expressing his uncertainty to his son in the faith in 1 Timothy 4:10 with the following statement, he’s expressing his confidence in God (emphasis added): “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”
It wasn’t wishful thinking but instead certainty when Paul was first writing the church in Corinth at the end of chapter 13 when he establishes faith, hope and love as enduring virtues for us to pursue as Christians.
The author of Hebrews wasn’t crossing his fingers, he was expressing his convictions when he wrote 6:18-19 that “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.”
If ever there is a time to correctly use and share the word HOPE in a biblical sense it is now. People around us are undoubtedly looking for biblical hope right now. As we look around, we see uncertainty, confusion, and fear all around us: the war in Ukraine, daily headlines, the pandemic, the economy, the increase of crime, the price of gas, inflation. We have many challenges in life right now in a broken world that gives us significant reason to both hear and express biblical HOPE!
Biblical hope is confident. Biblical hope has conviction. Biblical hope is certain.
I’m so thankful that my friend responded in a way this morning that challenged me to think about how I use this word hope. I’ve recently heard the phrase around the e2 office several times that “words have meaning,” we must carefully choose those words. I plan to reserve the future use of this wonderful word HOPE from my lips to only communicate biblical hope. I’d invite you to consider the same. I want to always communicate my hope in my future with God with confidence, certainty, and conviction like that of Hebrews 6:11 “in order to make your hope sure.”
