There are some things we may feel we do not have enough of, but I submit to you that if we have hope, we have enough. The body of Christ is often encouraged to have faith and build our faith, but less emphasis is placed on hope. So, let’s begin by differentiating faith and hope. Faith is responding to the situation according to what God says, and hope is rewriting the end of your story based on faith. Faith deals with the present, while hope looks to the future. You cannot have faith without hope, but then again one cannot be substituted for the other. The bible tells us that faith is the substance of things “hoped” for (Hebrews 11: 1).
Between the present faith and the manifestation of what is prayed for, you can opt for hope or worry. Whichever one we cling to will determine the trajectory of our mental health. If it’s healing in your body, you need the substance of faith in the present while hope walks into your future rejoicing that the healing will manifest. Our circumstance may paint a picture that: The marriage is lost, the job search will continue to be fruitless, the disease is terminal, and the lack of finances is perpetual. Faith deals with the now and commands: Don’t fall apart now, don’t lose your mind now, don’t give up now. The situation commands a reaction that should equate to the picture it’s painted, but faith steps in front of the situation and commands a response based on the Word of God. Faith is the substance that fills the blueprint (the detailed operational plan) of hope, while hope marches ahead of faith declaring my end regardless of my beginning. Hope, a joyful and confident expectation, writes the end of the story that faith fills.
It is imperative that we keep hope alive. The moment you let hope go you are defenseless, vulnerable and exposed. It is hope that keeps repainting the picture suffering doles out, enabling us to see more than just what we see and therefore to have more peace and joy than the circumstance would ever find agreeable. When winds blow and storms rise, tighten your grip on hope. By any means necessary, keep hope alive.