The Light at the end of the tunnel...
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What is hope?
“Hope means more than a vague wish that something will happen. It is a sure and confident expectation in God’s future faithfulness and presence. The horizon of Christian hope extends beyond death into an eternity prepared by God himself, the reality of which is guaranteed by Jesus Christ.”
To really understand how great hope is, it’s helpful to look at what it is contrasted against in hopelessness.
What is hopelessness and what are its effects?
Hopelessness can lead to a feeling of uselessness; and when you feel useless, you don’t want to live.
Warren W. Wiersbe
People who commit suicide have an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness.
Gary P. Stewart
Hopelessness Research
“We define hopelessness as a feeling of despair or lack of hope. Hopelessness has many negative consequences: weapon carrying at school, partner violence, anxiety, depression, self-directed violence, addiction, and more.” - Hopefulminds.org
Hopelessness Leads to Adverse Health Outcomes
Hopelessness Leads to Adverse Health Outcomes
Hopelessness is the Single Consistent Predictor of Suicide
Suicide is a significant problem among youth; the suicide rates for young girls between the ages of 10-14 are increasing faster than for young boys (Jama, 2019). Suicide is the leading cause of death for teen girls (World Health Organization, 2008). 1 out of 9 students self-report suicide attempts before graduating high school, with 40% of them in grade school (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2011)Hopelessness is the leading predictor of suicide and is more closely associated with suicide than depression (Association of Physicians, 2004; APA, 2013; PLoS One, 2015; Psychosomatic Medicine, 2001; Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 2005).Hopelessness is predictive of both loneliness and suicidality, and there is no relation between loneliness and suicidality beyond hopelessness (Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 1996).
Individuals with increased hopelessness have a greater risk of premature death, cancer, and heart disease (Psychosomatic Medicine, 1996). Employees with higher levels of hopelessness have reduced job satisfaction, greater burnout, and subsequent higher absenteeism (International Journal of Academic Research, 2014).
Hopelessness Leads to Risky Behaviors
Hopelessness Leads to Risky Behaviors
In Adolescents, Hopelessness Leads to Risky Behaviors (i.e., Delinquency, Weapon Carrying, and Violence).
When their future is uncertain, adolescents’ hopelessness rise. Hopelessness is related to adolescent delinquent behavior, weapon carrying on school property, accidental injury, substance use, risky sexual behaviors, and violence (Maternal Child Health, 2011)Adolescents most at risk for risk behavior and hopelessness are those who live in high-poverty inner-city neighborhoods (Journal of Adolescence, 2003):
Of 2468 inner-city adolescents surveyed, nearly 50% of males and 25% of females had moderate or severe feelings of hopelessness.
Populations More At-Risk of Hopelessness
Populations More At-Risk of Hopelessness
Adverse Child Experiences are Related to Higher Hopelessness
Children with higher levels of adverse childhood experiences have a greater risk of hopelessness in adulthood; the risk is more significant for women (Journal of Emotional Abuse, 2008; Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 2003).
Hopelessness Impacts the Economy
Hopelessness Impacts the Economy
Hopelessness Places a Financial Burden on the Economy
Individuals high on hopelessness are often more financial literature (i.e., cannot make informed decisions about financial resources), leading to an economic burden (European Scientific Journal, 2013). Completed and attempted suicides cost the United States nearly $70 billion per year in medical and work-loss costs (CDC, 2019).
Individuals living with Food Insecurity or Poverty are at Risk of Hopelessness
One-third of low-income adults facing food insecurity also experience depression, anxiety, and high-stress symptoms. Hopelessness is a common symptom across all of those concerns (Healthy Equity, 2021).
Hopelessness Impacts Work/School Performance
Hopelessness Impacts Work/School Performance
Hopelessness Can Lead to School Dropout
Research has found that people who drop out of school have the common element of hopelessness (Journal of Education and Work, 2006).
Hopelessness Results in Increased Absences From Work and School
Adolescents who experience hopelessness are more likely to display chronic absenteeism (Frontiers in Psychology, 2020).
The hopelessness of the non-Christian world stemmed from the one fact they all shared: they did not possess the one true hope, the Christian hope, which Christ validated by his resurrection.
D. Michael Martin
If you do not hope you will never discover what is beyond your hopes.
Clement of Alexandria
So what is hope?
Hope Research definition...
“We define hope as a vision for the future fueled by positive feelings and inspired actions. Positive feelings are those feelings that help us to stay hopeful as we work towards our goals. Inspired actions are steps that propel us toward our goals. Both feelings and actions are critical to hope, differentiating hope from a “wish.””
Cursed is everyone who places his hope in man.
Augustine of Hippo
Do not look to your hope, but to Christ, the source of your hope.
Charles Spurgeon
“Biblical hope not only desires something good for the future — it expects it to happen. And it not only expects it to happen — it is confident that it will happen. There is a moral certainty that the good we expect and desire will be done.” - John Piper
Most importantly, here’s what God says about hope...
1) God/Jesus are the hope of believers
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2) The hope of resurrection and eternal life
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
3) The hope of future glory
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
4) Hope is a Christian virtue
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
5) The effect of hope while on earth
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
We have been born of God and our Christian hope is a valid hope! No emptiness, no vanity, no dreams that cannot come true. Your expectation should rise and you should challenge God and begin to dream high dreams of faith and spiritual attainment and expect God to meet them. You cannot out-hope God and you cannot out-expect God. Remember that all of your hopes are finite, but all of God’s ability is infinite!3
A. W. Tozer
One Day...