Hope. It’s a word that is often misunderstood. We hear people say “I hope so”, or “I hope it turns out that way” and we probably don’t give it a second thought. So many times the word hope is used in conversation, but it is really only expressing what someone wishes, and there is a big difference.
In teaching English word usage, Kaplan International uses the following example:
Hope: to desire something good or positive in the future
Wish: to desire something that is impossible or not likely to happen
What is the difference between these two statements?
- I hope I can improve my English.
- I wish I could improve my English.
Remember that “hope” expresses something that the speaker believes is possible. The first sentence above means that I want to improve my English, and I think it is possible.
“Wish,” on the other hand, expresses something that the speaker believes is not possible right now. The second sentence above means that I want to improve my English, but I don’t think it is possible.
Granted, to some people this may seem as merely verbal semantics, but that is only true in casual conversation. When we apply it to the issues of life it has huge impact. Wishing yearns for something, while hope anticipates it. Wishing says “Wouldn’t it be nice if…” while hope says “It will be nice when…”
Hope doesn’t come all at once. There are many people, myself included, who started out wishing but came to a place of hoping. It’s so important not to browbeat yourself over needing help getting from one place to the next. Wishing at least puts your thoughts to seeing that the possibility exists. The key is to gain hope and know that the possibility not only exists, but that it can be yours. Our goal is to find a place where hope has a foundation and can stay solid until it is realized.
That’s why it is so important to have your hope grounded in something that is reliable. In life, that place is often a person or group of people. Some people place their trust in family or friends. Some place their trust in their government. As good as these options can be at times, they are subject to change and invariably fail us at one time or another. Some people don’t have family or friends. They don’t even have a government or other body that they can place any trust in. Where does hope rest in then? Where can it come from?
David and Hope
David faced many issues during his life. His family wasn’t always reliable. His king that he had served faithfully eventually looked to have him killed. In his times of need he knew where his true hope came from, and stated this in the book of Psalms:
Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Ps 71:5
For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.
Since his youth, David had looked to God to be his hope. The youngest of Jesse’s sons, David was sent to the fields to care for his family’s sheep. He may have felt neglected at times, possibly unappreciated. There would have been times of loneliness, or times where fear tried to creep in. In these times David placed his confidence in his Lord to be with him and care for him.
A perfect example of this is found in 1 Samuel 17, when David explained to King Saul why he was ready to face the Philistine giant, Goliath:
32 David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33 Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. For you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.”
34 David said to Saul, “Your servant was a shepherd for my father’s flock, and the lion came and the bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. 35 And I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I took hold of his beard, struck him, and killed him. 36 Your servant slew both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine will be as one of them, because he has reviled the armies of the living God.” 37 David said, “The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”
As King Saul was telling David that he was unable to face the Philistine giant, David tells him of how God had been with him and protected him when he faced a lion and a bear in close combat. David’s hope was placed in the trust that God would be with him as well when he faced Goliath.
His hope of defeating Goliath was founded in his trust in God. He believed that this result was possible because of God’s presence in His life. As the story continues we see that David does indeed defeat Goliath and slay him. That event that he had placed his hope in did come to pass. The faith he had in God to be with him in the battle resulted in him obtained that which he had hoped for. This principle is stated in Hebrews chapter 1:
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old obtained a good report.
Understanding the Difference Will Change Your Life
Understanding of the difference between hope and wish helps you to look at a given situation to better evaluate where you are truly at in it. Are you looking at your desired result as you believe to be possible in your life? You are hoping. Make sure that your hope is based in God and His Word, and trust Him to bring that desired result to completion in your life.
Are you looking at the desired result as something that you see as not likely to happen or impossible? You are wishing. Your approach is lacking faith that it will happen. You are in a place where your true expectations are to protect yourself from disappointment, and your trust is flapping like a flag in the wind. It is not grounded.
If you find yourself in the land of wish, don’t give up. You can move from wish to hope. Remember, the difference between wish and hope is what your true expectation is and what it is founded on. Spend time seeking God in prayer and in study, looking to Him to reveal His will to you and give you the foundation to base your hope on. As you grow in Him and His ways, you will be able to trust Him in your situations and see those things you hope for become realities in your life. Just as those men of old, you too will obtain a good report – one that recounts your victory in faith!
