Hope’s more than an ‘ugly sister’

Hope may be a neglected virtue, but recent medical research points to its life-changing and health-giving benefits, writes Eric Gaudion

It turns out that hope is not just a great Christian virtue – it is now officially recognised as having tangible medical benefits.

A recent study funded by the British Heart Foundation reviewed the research data on 5,540 patients with coronary heart disease, stroke or heart valve problems. Hopelessness was associated with a six-fold higher death risk from heart disease in men with pre-existing heart conditions. Even among men who did not have cardiovascular issues, lack of hope still more than doubled the risk of death.

Meanwhile, the report found, higher levels of hope were protective against angina in women, and in stroke patients were linked to a much lower risk of post-stroke fatigue. The research also included psychological data, showing that having more hope was linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety, improved resilience and quality of life.

Hope is one of the three “eternal virtues” of 1 Corinthians 13:13: “Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Yet, sadly, hope is often the ugly sister of this little trinity, neglected and living in the shadow of its more famous siblings, faith and love. We generally teach that love will last forever, but we need to recognise that hope is an abiding virtue too.

It may be that our estimation of the value of hope is coloured by our understanding of the word and its usage today, which is very different from the New Testament use of the word. Today people might say “I hope so” with a shrug – really meaning they’re not at all sure! But godly hope is not like that at all.

I like this definition: “Hope is the confident assurance that God is good and that everything he does in my life will work out for good.” Of course, my understanding of “good” may not be the same as God’s, but it is his stated desire to work all our circumstances together for that purpose (Romans 8:28). This promise depends, of course, on the fact that we fit the criteria for the second part of the verse, that we love God and are committed to his will in our lives. Sometimes we forget that, but when we submit to his lordship over our circumstances, however dark, we can grasp hope that is life-changing, health-giving and cause for glorious worship.

Biblical hope is not dependent upon other people, our possessions or our circumstances. It is the application of faith in the character of God and his promises, and it leads to a confident expectation of his will being done in our lives.

Fundamentally then, hope is trust in the character of God. “Put your hope in God,” (Psalm 42:11) is a command, not a suggestion. God is himself good – all the time. He never changes and is utterly faithful. That is why, even in the darkest night, and in the most exposed of dangers, we can put our hope in him. When the writer of the book of Lamentations was gazing out at the shattered ruins of the city of Jerusalem, he was still able to affirm:

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness,” (Lamentations 3:21–23).

If we put our hope in the unchanging character of God, we will discover that with him there is no sleaze, there are no shady dealings, and there is no trace of corruption. There are no hidden agendas, and unlike – sadly – some earthly fathers and guardians, there is not one trace of abusive intent in him. God is faithful, and he delights in doing us good, so let’s put our hope in him.

And as a bonus, that will be good for our hearts!

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.