What is hope? That word always reminds me of a famous saying, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” I never knew until recently, the phrase was penned by Alexander Pope (1688 – 1744) in a poem entitled An Essay on Man. In the poem, Pope attempts to ‘vindicate’ God’s ways to man; not in a specifically Christian context, but attempting to identify an ethical system that applies to humanity in a general sense. Later, another poet, Emily Dickinson, wrote a poem entitled Hope is the Thing With Feathers in 1862. This poem is an extended metaphor, transforming hope into a bird that is ever-present in the human soul. It sings, especially when times get tough. A reasonable summation of this poem might be “hope springs eternal.”
No matter who you are, your definition of hope by default, must include; it is something which has not already been achieved or obtained. No one hopes for what they already have. Aside from that, the rest of the definition can be as varied as the number of people you ask. I have never met a single person who told me, “I don’t have any hopes. Nor do I want any. Frankly, I think I’m better off without them.” Has anyone ever told you anything resembling that? I have known one or two people who were so depressed or despondent over life, they didn’t appear to have any hope. But they never told me they didn’t want to have hope.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow, one of the most influential psychologists of the twentieth century, is well known for his contributions to psychology, including his hierarchy of needs, which he developed in 1943. Maslow describes this hierarchy as being made up of five needs arranged in order from the first to highest level. These needs are physiological (such as food, shelter and clothing); safety; love or belonging; esteem; and self-actualization.” According to this theory, which is highly regarded in the world of psychology, the first level of needs, physiological, will have to be satisfied before a person can move on to the next level of needs; and so on until the highest level, self-actualization, is reached.
Hope in America
Is life in your homeland getting better or worse as time passes? I love America. Yet, almost every aspect of life here is becoming darker, even sinister. World-wide violence seems to be increasing; including in the streets of America. Our economy is weakening as people struggle to meet the cost of everyday living. But most ominous change is, in my opinion, more and more people are turning away from the Lord. Some may even be asking the question, “Is there hope for America?”
Worldly Hope
Almost all of us have aspirations and desires which we sincerely hope will be realized. The majority of adults in America have probably already achieved the first two levels in Maslow’s hierarchy; which are physiological and safety. Regardless of the level where you stand today; what are your hopes? What do you want to attain or obtain in this life? Maybe it’s a happy marriage, a healthy family, a rewarding job, or having faithful friends. Maybe it’s fame, power or wealth. It seems to me life would be so dark and dreary without hope; because despair is the opposite of hope.
There are different kinds of hope. It’s reasonable for a person to expect to achieve some of the hopes mentioned above. Marriage, family, career and friends are achieved by many. Some hopes, such as fame, power and wealth may be harder to attain. Other hopes are unrealistic. Someone may say, “I hope I win the lottery.” Is it possible? Yes. But what are the odds? Astronomical. Such desires, which have virtually no chance of occurring, are nothing more than wishful thinking. Then there is false hope, which is any desire or expectation not based upon truth. But whether your worldly hopes are reasonable, difficult, nearly impossible or false; they are temporary at best. They will go to the grave with us.
A Living Hope
I believe there is one other category of hope which humans can attain. It is an eternal, living hope which doesn’t end with the grave; but extends into eternity. Furthermore, I am convinced somewhere deep within our souls, each and every human comprehends there is an Almighty God who wants us to seek Him, find Him, know Him. Scripture tells us God made man so we “would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him” (Acts 17:26-27). Why would God build into us a desire to seek Him if we cannot find Him? Scripture also tells us God “set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Why would God set eternity in our hearts if there was no eternity available to us? A person may try to suppress or deny these truths, but that does not negate their existence.
In addition to the Bible, we also have practical earthly evidence which supports the existence of an Almighty God and eternity. Most of us are familiar with stories about an unsaved soul, who, when suddenly faced with impending death or catastrophic injury, responds with a sincere, frantic call to God for help. As the proverb goes, “There are no atheists in foxholes.”
An Eternal Perspective
Have you noticed the difference between a funeral for a Christian and a lost soul? The loss of a loved one carries so much sorrow with it; whether the deceased is saved or lost. However, when I grieve over the death of a loved one who is a Christian, my grief is for me. The world is a lesser place for me when someone I love dies. But the grief is slightly lessened because I know the separation is temporary; we will be reunited. I have a biblical hope of a reunion, an assurance founded in eternity on God’s covenant. However, those who are grieving the loss of an unsaved soul, suffer an eternal loss. There are no soothing words. There is no comfort for their sadness. Their grief is distinctly different; as one who has no hope; because, in fact, they have no hope for the one who is now deceased.
Many times, a Christian and a non-believer deal with death very differently. If I have no idea where I am going or what comes next in eternity; impending death produces anxiety and fear of the unknown. For the believer, this current stage of life is simply preparation for the next stage. After all, for the Christian, life on earth is simply a dress rehearsal for eternity. According to Scripture, our hope is living, eternal and certain.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3–4).
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
The Message
There have been enough books, articles, devotionals and sermons written on this topic to fill several libraries. From a Scriptural perspective, we have only scratched the surface here regarding what the Bible says about hope. John Piper, another believer, has written a message on this topic which you may want to read. So, back to where we started. What is hope? I believe the Christian message to the world is “Hope through The Truth.” Why do I say that? Because our hope is in The Truth which is God’s unchangeable Word; and in Jesus Christ, whose life is Truth. Our hope, whose future delivery is certain, comes through faith in the crucified, resurrected Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior (1 Peter 3:15, 18). God will deliver on His certain promise, in His own good time.
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