March 10, 2026
Are You Hoping… or Just Wishing?
We say the word hope all the time.
“I hope things work out.”
“I hope this gets better.”
“I hope something changes.”
But sometimes what we call hope is really something else.
A wish.
A quiet desire with no real expectation behind it.
In this episode, we begin a new series called The Language of Faith by exploring the difference between wishing something might happen and placing your hope in a God who is already at work.
Because biblical hope isn’t fragile optimism.
It isn’t crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
It’s a quiet confidence rooted in who God is and what He has already promised.
So here’s the question for this week:
Are you hoping… or just wishing?
Take a few minutes to slow down, reflect, and notice what your words might be revealing about your faith.
✨ Encouragement for your spirit. Wisdom for your walk.
WEBVTT
00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:27.199
You know, there are certain phrases we use so often that they've become almost invisible to us.
00:00:28.449 --> 00:00:34.369
We say things like, I just hope it works out, or I hope everything will be okay.
00:00:34.850 --> 00:00:38.850
And even the classic, I guess we'll just have to see what happens.
00:00:39.810 --> 00:00:46.130
On the surface, these phrases are common, they're natural, and they feel completely harmless.
00:00:47.409 --> 00:00:50.770
But I want to offer you something worth considering today.
00:00:52.130 --> 00:01:02.759
The way we speak about God, especially in our casual moments, reveals what we actually believe about Him.
00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:11.079
I'm not talking about the polished language that we use in church service or our carefully worded prayers.
00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:14.760
I'm talking about the reflex statements.
00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:21.079
Those are the words that we reach for instinctively when life feels a little uncertain.
00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:26.980
Hey, I'm Melissa, and welcome to my question for you.
00:01:27.859 --> 00:01:33.859
And today we're beginning a new series called the Language of Faith.
00:01:34.980 --> 00:01:44.900
Over the next few weeks, we are going to slow down and examine the vocabulary we use when we talk about God.
00:01:45.859 --> 00:01:56.930
We're doing this because words carry weight, and often the weight beneath our words reveals the foundation beneath our faith.
00:01:58.049 --> 00:02:04.849
We're going to start today with one word in particular, and that word is hope.
00:02:05.650 --> 00:02:09.169
And here's the question at the center of this episode.
00:02:09.330 --> 00:02:11.090
The question I want you to sit with.
00:02:12.050 --> 00:02:15.569
Are you hoping or are you just wishing?
00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:29.840
In our everyday language, hope usually sounds like a wish.
00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:35.840
We say things like, I hope it happens or I hope things turn out well.
00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:39.840
And if we're honest, that kind of hope is pretty fragile.
00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:43.599
Think about how we treat a birthday wish.
00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:53.860
You close your eyes, you blow out the candle, the smoke curls up, and then the moment just passes.
00:02:55.219 --> 00:03:01.060
Most of us can't even remember what we wished for last year, because a wish is light.
00:03:01.379 --> 00:03:02.500
It's temporary.
00:03:02.659 --> 00:03:08.900
And you certainly don't build a life on something that's fleeting and temporary.
00:03:10.030 --> 00:03:12.349
But here's the question I want us to wrestle with.
00:03:13.310 --> 00:03:16.509
Are we treating our spiritual hope the same way?
00:03:17.469 --> 00:03:24.030
Are we using the language of hope without any of the weight of expectation behind it?
00:03:24.909 --> 00:03:29.949
Because when we look at Scripture, hope isn't described as a flickering candle.
00:03:30.509 --> 00:03:33.150
It's described as an anchor.
00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:36.120
Let's look at the word.
00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:47.479
In Hebrews, chapter six, verse 19, the writer tells us that we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:52.520
Now think about that imagery for a second.
00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:54.680
I want you to just see that picture in your mind.
00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:58.520
An anchor isn't a whisper of possibility.
00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:00.759
An anchor is heavy.
00:04:01.330 --> 00:04:02.370
It's intentional.
00:04:02.449 --> 00:04:08.210
And it is designed specifically to hold its ground when the current shifts.
00:04:09.250 --> 00:04:10.930
Anchors aren't decorative.
00:04:11.409 --> 00:04:12.610
They are functional.
00:04:12.930 --> 00:04:17.569
And they only exist because instability is real.
00:04:18.850 --> 00:04:23.649
This means that biblical hope isn't just fragile optimism.
00:04:24.449 --> 00:04:30.930
It's not an emotional preference or a way of just saying, I'd really like this to happen.
00:04:32.209 --> 00:04:40.689
Biblical hope is a confident expectation that is rooted entirely in the character of God.
00:04:41.730 --> 00:04:47.170
That is the foundational difference between wishing and hoping.
00:04:47.970 --> 00:04:59.019
A wish says, I want this specific outcome, but hope says, I trust the one who holds the outcome.
00:04:59.980 --> 00:05:02.860
A wish centers on what you desire.
00:05:03.899 --> 00:05:06.620
Hope centers on who God is.
00:05:07.420 --> 00:05:15.420
And that distinction matters more than we realize because it changes what we are actually anchored to.
00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:30.339
When you find yourself saying, I hope this works out, I want you to just stop and ask yourself, am I anchoring to a probability, or am I anchoring to my circumstances?
00:05:32.180 --> 00:05:38.420
Am I anchoring to a specific result that I've got my heart set on?
00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:47.379
Because if your hope is anchored to an outcome, then the moment that outcome shifts, your stability goes with it.
00:05:48.819 --> 00:06:02.259
But if your hope is anchored to the unchanging character of God, to His faithfulness and his covenant, then even when the current moves, you don't drift.
00:06:03.699 --> 00:06:12.420
The hope is firm and secure, not because your situation is stable, but because the anchor holds firm.
00:06:13.629 --> 00:06:15.949
And Scripture reinforces this again.
00:06:15.949 --> 00:06:29.470
In Lamentations, chapter three, verses 22 and 23, it says, because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail.
00:06:30.269 --> 00:06:32.509
They are new every morning.
00:06:33.629 --> 00:06:35.629
Great is your faithfulness.
00:06:37.629 --> 00:06:42.000
Biblical hope is always tethered to something eternal.
00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:47.120
Let's look at how this plays out in our everyday theology.
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:51.600
Think about the phrase, I don't want to get my hopes up.
00:06:52.560 --> 00:07:04.079
We say that to protect ourselves, but it implies that hope is risky or fragile, something we have to manage carefully so we won't be disappointed.
00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:06.639
It's like we're protecting ourselves when we say that.
00:07:08.139 --> 00:07:10.699
But biblical hope isn't a risk.
00:07:11.500 --> 00:07:14.300
It isn't naive or a form of denial.
00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:21.660
It is a steady expectation grounded in the promises of God.
00:07:23.180 --> 00:07:32.939
When we say, I guess we'll just see what happens, we might think that we're being humble, but sometimes we're actually slipping in.
00:07:34.550 --> 00:07:40.069
What we're slipping in is an uncertainty about whether God is truly at work.
00:07:40.389 --> 00:07:41.589
We're showing doubt.
00:07:41.589 --> 00:07:44.870
In that moment, we're not certain if God is really going to come through.
00:07:45.750 --> 00:07:48.149
This isn't about policing your language.
00:07:48.790 --> 00:07:51.430
It's about examining your foundation.
00:07:53.350 --> 00:07:54.790
Our words are windows.
00:07:54.790 --> 00:08:08.079
I want you to remember that they reveal what we believe about God's involvement, His reliability and his attentiveness to our lives over time.
00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:12.639
That casual language shapes our internal posture.
00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:20.399
If hope becomes a synonym for maybe, then our expectation slowly starts to weaken.
00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:26.160
But Scripture never uses hope as a synonym for maybe.
00:08:26.790 --> 00:08:29.350
It uses it as a synonym for stability.
00:08:31.110 --> 00:08:33.110
So how do we reframe this?
00:08:33.429 --> 00:08:39.909
How do we move from a wish based language to an anchored hope type language?
00:08:40.870 --> 00:08:49.029
Instead of saying I hope this works out, try saying something like I trust that God is faithful in this.
00:08:50.950 --> 00:09:02.409
Instead of saying I don't want to get my hopes up, remind yourself that your expectations are rooted in who God is, not just in what you want.
00:09:03.450 --> 00:09:09.529
It's not about forced positivity, it's about theological grounding.
00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:23.059
So here's the question I want you to carry with you this week.
00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:28.580
Are you hoping or are you just wishing?
00:09:29.779 --> 00:09:35.299
When you use the word hope, what are you actually anchoring yourself to?
00:09:36.259 --> 00:09:42.580
Is it a flickering birthday candle or is it an anchor dropped deep in the character of God?
00:09:44.029 --> 00:09:48.990
The way you speak about God reveals what you truly believe about Him.
00:09:50.110 --> 00:09:53.389
Biblical hope was never meant to be a wish.
00:09:54.269 --> 00:10:04.029
It is confident expectation, it is covenant rooted trust, and it is stability in shifting waters.
00:10:05.710 --> 00:10:09.039
Next week we are going to take this a step further.
00:10:09.269 --> 00:10:16.789
Further and look at another phrase we use often Is this faith or just optimism?
00:10:17.830 --> 00:10:23.190
Because as we'll see, not all confidence is biblical faith.
00:10:24.389 --> 00:10:34.470
So until next time, please keep asking, keep listening, and keep examining the language that is shaping your faith.
00:10:44.379 --> 00:10:45.100
Before you go.
00:10:45.419 --> 00:10:49.740
If today's question stayed with you, I'd love to keep the conversation going.
00:10:50.220 --> 00:11:04.850
Each week I send a short email called this Week's Question A Quiet Invitation, and it's a simple reflection to help you stay grounded, to pay attention, to dive deeper into God's Word, and to walk with God throughout your week.
00:11:05.169 --> 00:11:12.690
You can sign up at my question for you.com bringing you encouragement for your spirit and wisdom for your walk.
00:11:34.669 --> 00:11:34.909
It.
00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:27.199
You know, there are certain phrases we use so often that they've become almost invisible to us.
00:00:28.449 --> 00:00:34.369
We say things like, I just hope it works out, or I hope everything will be okay.
00:00:34.850 --> 00:00:38.850
And even the classic, I guess we'll just have to see what happens.
00:00:39.810 --> 00:00:46.130
On the surface, these phrases are common, they're natural, and they feel completely harmless.
00:00:47.409 --> 00:00:50.770
But I want to offer you something worth considering today.
00:00:52.130 --> 00:01:02.759
The way we speak about God, especially in our casual moments, reveals what we actually believe about Him.
00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:11.079
I'm not talking about the polished language that we use in church service or our carefully worded prayers.
00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:14.760
I'm talking about the reflex statements.
00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:21.079
Those are the words that we reach for instinctively when life feels a little uncertain.
00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:26.980
Hey, I'm Melissa, and welcome to my question for you.
00:01:27.859 --> 00:01:33.859
And today we're beginning a new series called the Language of Faith.
00:01:34.980 --> 00:01:44.900
Over the next few weeks, we are going to slow down and examine the vocabulary we use when we talk about God.
00:01:45.859 --> 00:01:56.930
We're doing this because words carry weight, and often the weight beneath our words reveals the foundation beneath our faith.
00:01:58.049 --> 00:02:04.849
We're going to start today with one word in particular, and that word is hope.
00:02:05.650 --> 00:02:09.169
And here's the question at the center of this episode.
00:02:09.330 --> 00:02:11.090
The question I want you to sit with.
00:02:12.050 --> 00:02:15.569
Are you hoping or are you just wishing?
00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:29.840
In our everyday language, hope usually sounds like a wish.
00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:35.840
We say things like, I hope it happens or I hope things turn out well.
00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:39.840
And if we're honest, that kind of hope is pretty fragile.
00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:43.599
Think about how we treat a birthday wish.
00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:53.860
You close your eyes, you blow out the candle, the smoke curls up, and then the moment just passes.
00:02:55.219 --> 00:03:01.060
Most of us can't even remember what we wished for last year, because a wish is light.
00:03:01.379 --> 00:03:02.500
It's temporary.
00:03:02.659 --> 00:03:08.900
And you certainly don't build a life on something that's fleeting and temporary.
00:03:10.030 --> 00:03:12.349
But here's the question I want us to wrestle with.
00:03:13.310 --> 00:03:16.509
Are we treating our spiritual hope the same way?
00:03:17.469 --> 00:03:24.030
Are we using the language of hope without any of the weight of expectation behind it?
00:03:24.909 --> 00:03:29.949
Because when we look at Scripture, hope isn't described as a flickering candle.
00:03:30.509 --> 00:03:33.150
It's described as an anchor.
00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:36.120
Let's look at the word.
00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:47.479
In Hebrews, chapter six, verse 19, the writer tells us that we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:52.520
Now think about that imagery for a second.
00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:54.680
I want you to just see that picture in your mind.
00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:58.520
An anchor isn't a whisper of possibility.
00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:00.759
An anchor is heavy.
00:04:01.330 --> 00:04:02.370
It's intentional.
00:04:02.449 --> 00:04:08.210
And it is designed specifically to hold its ground when the current shifts.
00:04:09.250 --> 00:04:10.930
Anchors aren't decorative.
00:04:11.409 --> 00:04:12.610
They are functional.
00:04:12.930 --> 00:04:17.569
And they only exist because instability is real.
00:04:18.850 --> 00:04:23.649
This means that biblical hope isn't just fragile optimism.
00:04:24.449 --> 00:04:30.930
It's not an emotional preference or a way of just saying, I'd really like this to happen.
00:04:32.209 --> 00:04:40.689
Biblical hope is a confident expectation that is rooted entirely in the character of God.
00:04:41.730 --> 00:04:47.170
That is the foundational difference between wishing and hoping.
00:04:47.970 --> 00:04:59.019
A wish says, I want this specific outcome, but hope says, I trust the one who holds the outcome.
00:04:59.980 --> 00:05:02.860
A wish centers on what you desire.
00:05:03.899 --> 00:05:06.620
Hope centers on who God is.
00:05:07.420 --> 00:05:15.420
And that distinction matters more than we realize because it changes what we are actually anchored to.
00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:30.339
When you find yourself saying, I hope this works out, I want you to just stop and ask yourself, am I anchoring to a probability, or am I anchoring to my circumstances?
00:05:32.180 --> 00:05:38.420
Am I anchoring to a specific result that I've got my heart set on?
00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:47.379
Because if your hope is anchored to an outcome, then the moment that outcome shifts, your stability goes with it.
00:05:48.819 --> 00:06:02.259
But if your hope is anchored to the unchanging character of God, to His faithfulness and his covenant, then even when the current moves, you don't drift.
00:06:03.699 --> 00:06:12.420
The hope is firm and secure, not because your situation is stable, but because the anchor holds firm.
00:06:13.629 --> 00:06:15.949
And Scripture reinforces this again.
00:06:15.949 --> 00:06:29.470
In Lamentations, chapter three, verses 22 and 23, it says, because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail.
00:06:30.269 --> 00:06:32.509
They are new every morning.
00:06:33.629 --> 00:06:35.629
Great is your faithfulness.
00:06:37.629 --> 00:06:42.000
Biblical hope is always tethered to something eternal.
00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:47.120
Let's look at how this plays out in our everyday theology.
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:51.600
Think about the phrase, I don't want to get my hopes up.
00:06:52.560 --> 00:07:04.079
We say that to protect ourselves, but it implies that hope is risky or fragile, something we have to manage carefully so we won't be disappointed.
00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:06.639
It's like we're protecting ourselves when we say that.
00:07:08.139 --> 00:07:10.699
But biblical hope isn't a risk.
00:07:11.500 --> 00:07:14.300
It isn't naive or a form of denial.
00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:21.660
It is a steady expectation grounded in the promises of God.
00:07:23.180 --> 00:07:32.939
When we say, I guess we'll just see what happens, we might think that we're being humble, but sometimes we're actually slipping in.
00:07:34.550 --> 00:07:40.069
What we're slipping in is an uncertainty about whether God is truly at work.
00:07:40.389 --> 00:07:41.589
We're showing doubt.
00:07:41.589 --> 00:07:44.870
In that moment, we're not certain if God is really going to come through.
00:07:45.750 --> 00:07:48.149
This isn't about policing your language.
00:07:48.790 --> 00:07:51.430
It's about examining your foundation.
00:07:53.350 --> 00:07:54.790
Our words are windows.
00:07:54.790 --> 00:08:08.079
I want you to remember that they reveal what we believe about God's involvement, His reliability and his attentiveness to our lives over time.
00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:12.639
That casual language shapes our internal posture.
00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:20.399
If hope becomes a synonym for maybe, then our expectation slowly starts to weaken.
00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:26.160
But Scripture never uses hope as a synonym for maybe.
00:08:26.790 --> 00:08:29.350
It uses it as a synonym for stability.
00:08:31.110 --> 00:08:33.110
So how do we reframe this?
00:08:33.429 --> 00:08:39.909
How do we move from a wish based language to an anchored hope type language?
00:08:40.870 --> 00:08:49.029
Instead of saying I hope this works out, try saying something like I trust that God is faithful in this.
00:08:50.950 --> 00:09:02.409
Instead of saying I don't want to get my hopes up, remind yourself that your expectations are rooted in who God is, not just in what you want.
00:09:03.450 --> 00:09:09.529
It's not about forced positivity, it's about theological grounding.
00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:23.059
So here's the question I want you to carry with you this week.
00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:28.580
Are you hoping or are you just wishing?
00:09:29.779 --> 00:09:35.299
When you use the word hope, what are you actually anchoring yourself to?
00:09:36.259 --> 00:09:42.580
Is it a flickering birthday candle or is it an anchor dropped deep in the character of God?
00:09:44.029 --> 00:09:48.990
The way you speak about God reveals what you truly believe about Him.
00:09:50.110 --> 00:09:53.389
Biblical hope was never meant to be a wish.
00:09:54.269 --> 00:10:04.029
It is confident expectation, it is covenant rooted trust, and it is stability in shifting waters.
00:10:05.710 --> 00:10:09.039
Next week we are going to take this a step further.
00:10:09.269 --> 00:10:16.789
Further and look at another phrase we use often Is this faith or just optimism?
00:10:17.830 --> 00:10:23.190
Because as we'll see, not all confidence is biblical faith.
00:10:24.389 --> 00:10:34.470
So until next time, please keep asking, keep listening, and keep examining the language that is shaping your faith.
00:10:44.379 --> 00:10:45.100
Before you go.
00:10:45.419 --> 00:10:49.740
If today's question stayed with you, I'd love to keep the conversation going.
00:10:50.220 --> 00:11:04.850
Each week I send a short email called this Week's Question A Quiet Invitation, and it's a simple reflection to help you stay grounded, to pay attention, to dive deeper into God's Word, and to walk with God throughout your week.
00:11:05.169 --> 00:11:12.690
You can sign up at my question for you.com bringing you encouragement for your spirit and wisdom for your walk.
00:11:34.669 --> 00:11:34.909
It.
