Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. – Romans 12:12
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. — Hebrews 10:23
There’s a difference between coping and hoping. Coping is trying to do the best you can but accepting the circumstances that limit you. Make no mistake, coping is hard work, but it’s safer than hoping. Coping protects us from disappointment because we expect we’ll get by but not that things will get better.
Hoping, on the other hand, can be a shit-starter. Hoping is doing the best you can right now but trusting that God will change the situation or change you in the midst of the situation. Hope makes us vulnerable and open to disappointment if things don’t get better. Maybe we’ll be disappointed with ourselves, with others, or with God. Hope takes courage because it means, while we expect things to get better, we trust that we’ll be ok even if it seems like nothing changes and our hearts get bruised as a result. Hope takes bravery because, in hoping, we choose to keep trusting that God will eventually change what’s happening to us, around us, or in us, even if it’s not the change we expect or prefer.
*art by Yaoyao Ma Van As
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