Hope is a Choice!

           One can live without food for forty days, without water for four days, without air for four minutes, but without hope, one cannot live for even a second[1]. Hope is valuable, much more valuable than one might imagine. What is hope?

           According to Jim Wallis, hope is more than a feeling or a mood. Rather, hope is a decision, a choice we make[2]. Hope is not a feeling that pops up and down involuntarily but rather an inherent human capacity and a character trait that one can build upon and nurture intentionally. Sometimes, it can be hard to make hope a choice, particularly in situations which are gloomy and blue. However, it is in hopeless situations that one needs to choose hope — because hope is a choice. 

Paul speaks of the nature of hope as something that takes birth in the unknown and orients toward the future. He says, “If we see what we hope for, that isn’t hope. But if we hope for what we don’t see, we wait for it with patience”. Hope becomes relevant and powerful when one is in a situation that is dark, uncertain, and devastating. Hope is especially necessary for situations such as going through discrimination, exploitation, separation in relationships, serious illness, war, and death. An adverse situation might seem despondent with no answers and remedies, and progress might seem impossible, yet that is exactly the birthplace of hope. 

Hope, being future-oriented, helps one to believe in the existence of light even when passing through utter darkness and offers the strength to walk toward it. Hope desists a person from sinking into the abyss of meaninglessness, despondency, and inertia. Hope believes that there is a future awaiting of goodness, healing, and meaning. 

There is an urgency for cultivating hope today for us as individuals, communities, and nations — a hope that is powerful enough to overcome hopelessness[3].

John Baptist OFM Cap.

Clinical Counselor & Psychospiritual Resource Person

York, PA, USA

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[1] Mark Cole, Give Hope

[2] Jim Wallis, The Way of Hope

[3] Jim Wallis, The Way of Hope