Humans have a remarkable tendency to cope, to adapt to difficulties, to show resourcefulness when things don’t go according to plan and to work out different ways of reaching a preferred goal. This is undoubtedly a useful trait, but it can sometimes lead to a ‘survival’ mentality, which is not at all the same as flourishing or thriving.

In learning to adapt to the present situation, we sometimes lower our expectations of anything ever changing in order to be able to continue to live with the present trial. Chronic, long-term pain may force us to limp… and we forget what it is like to walk tall, free from pain. Failed relationships leave us wary to trust again, so we put up walls to prevent us from being hurt again. We become battered down by life, and the result is a loss of hope, even if we are outwardly coping adequately.

Hope is a fuel which enables us to bear the present in the certainty that this is not forever. It is patient, powerful and enriching, especially when we learn to hope in God. The God of hope is able to fill us with joy and peace so that we can overflow with hope (Rom 15:13), maintaining the perspective that there is room for change ahead of us because of who God is. Paul reminds us that we don’t hope for what we already have. (Rom 8:18) Instead, hoping in God means waiting patiently for His right time. That may well be a lot longer ahead than we would like, but a hope in God enables us to thrive, even in adversity, because we are learning to live by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7)

For those who are waiting right now, keep hoping. Don’t just cope – hope in God!