“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—  if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” (Colossians 1:22-23a) 

Have you ever thought about the difference between biblical hope and just being hopeful? I may be hopeful that it will snow this winter, but that demonstrates more of a feeling based on wishful thinking. The hope Paul discusses in Colossians 1 is grounded in the truth of the gospel and the character of Jesus. This passage also implies that action is required to have hope since we are told not to move away from it.

As I was asking God to help me understand biblical hope, I had a picture pop into my head. I imagined for a moment that we are mariners at sea. Our sea experience represents our daily lives. Sometimes sea life is calm and sunny. These are those easy times in our life that make us smile. Other times, there are storms and the waves get pretty big. These depict trials in our lives. However, on occasion, there are times when the storm is so bad that the boat feels like it will break. I wonder if Paul, who had experiences with storms and breaking ships, might have lost hope during these times.

Hope is like a lighthouse. When we are looking toward the light (Jesus), we are filled with hope. If we are actively seeking the light, we will find it. Then we can choose to follow it. When the ship’s captain spots and recognizes a specific lighthouse, he knows where he is and how to now steer toward safe harbor.  

However, some mariners at sea might just give up hope when the storms press in. They may choose to ride out the storm under a blanket, hopeful that something may change. However, the blanket blocks their vision of the lighthouse. These structures are specifically placed near dangerous coastlines where there are hidden rocks and reefs. The light warns the mariners to steer clear and keep their distance. Without that light, the ship is floating aimlessly and is in danger of crashing. 

This person doesn’t have hope because the blanket not only blocks out the light, but also causes all of their focus to remain on the storm and current circumstances, forgetting the help that is waiting for them.  It causes the person to stop moving toward the light- toward the one thing that can guide them to a place of safety. 

Those who hide under blankets during the storm are merely “hopeful” that things will turn out ok, while sailors who search for the light and then act accordingly, are the ones operating in true hope. These sailors don’t wander aimlessly or stop sailing altogether. Rather, they put their trust in the light and the guidance that it is giving, especially when they are surrounded by total darkness. They believe if they keep following that guidance, they will eventually find safe harbor. Likewise, we don’t have to settle for just being hopeful. Our belief and faith in Jesus fuels our hope and helps us to steer according to the Light knowing that God is guiding us.

Lord, I pray that You will fill us with Your hope— a hope that we can trust in because You are trustworthy. Thank you for always being at work in our lives, even when we can’t see it clearly. Help us to move toward You, the Light of the World, and find true hope, based on the belief that you will do what you have promised.