Hope That Doesn't Disappoint

Hope. In our cynical world, hope is wishful thinking at best. When a person hopes for something, they usually have little belief that it will really happen. I am definitely one of those people. I have been so disappointed and let down so many times that I cease to really believe something will happen until it does. But is that a godly response? Is there a different kind of godly hope?

Romans 5:5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

This verse always baffled me. Hope does not disappoint? Really? I have been disappointed so many times I couldn’t even count. How is it that hope does not disappoint? I wrestled with that for years. It wasn’t until recently that I realized the problem was not that I had been let down by God, but by myself. The reason I was disappointed so much was because of what I put my hope in.

My hope was in things or circumstances, for life to happen the way I thought it should. That is worldly hope. And everything of the world disappoints sooner or later. We need to have godly hope. Hope that is based on a firm faith and belief that it will happen. But the important part is that that hope must be in God. That is why we are so often disappointed, our hopes are not in God or aligned with His will.

When we hope in God and trust that God’s will is best, we will never be disappointed. God never disappoints, He is always trustworthy and dependable. He always comes through. But it may not be in the way we think He should, and that is our hang up. We have to get over ourselves so that we are aligned with Him and accept that if something isn’t the way we want, then it is not best. That is why hope is the product of proven character.

Romans 5:3-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

Wait, exult in tribulation? Seriously? Yes, we can rejoice and be glad and count it all joy when we suffer because we know that this is only temporary. We know that God is on our side, helping us through every difficulty. And those difficulties are producing in us godly fruit, refining us so that we daily become more like Christ. If we respond to suffering correctly, if we accept it and resolve to move ahead without self pity, complaining, or bitterness, we will persevere, we will endure. And that endurance grows in us proven character, character that is tried and true and godly. And true godly hope is brought on by that proven character.

All of this hinges on our perspective. If we are focused on ourselves, we will put our hope in something other than God based on our desires. If we are focused on ourselves, we will become bitter, whiny or fall into self pity when we face hard times. If we focus on ourselves, we will want to give up, and think about how unfair it is rather than looking for what God is doing in our lives. Our daily difficulties show us how God is changing us and working in and through us. If we will look for it. But we have to have that perspective.

I didn’t used to have that perspective. It was all about me. Poor me, life is hard. Poor me, people hate me. Poor me, I’m ugly and no one wants me. Life had dealt me a hard hand, the idea that God allowed it only embittered me. It wasn’t until I started to look at the way God works, that I started to see suffering as a means of growth and gaining eternal glory, that I started to see the beauty and love of God in everything. It is a game changer.

If you have been let down by hope, consider what your hope is in? Is your hope in God and aligned with Him? Are you content with what God gives you regardless of what it is? Are you determined to grow in your difficulties rather than fall into selfishness? Suffering is the greatest means to growth and glory we have, but we have to respond rightly.

Psalm 42:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.