Hope is a Person—Not a Process
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We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. –Hebrews 6:19 (ESV)
A quick scroll through your social media feed at the beginning of a new year will likely reveal countless motivational quotes and affirmations that sound realistic and inspiring—almost scriptural.
Familiar sayings like “New Year, New You” have been revamped to “New Year, Better You” (a focus on improvement, not starting over) or even “New Year, New You” (a focus on you are enough, no pressure to fix anything). I get the general consensus that most of these messages are meant to refute popular ideas of the past, when striving to “make it happen” at all costs and “flip the switch” on a new year, were admirable.
But when examined through the lens of Scripture, most are not grounded in an essential truth: Our hope, as believers, is in a Person—not a process. Our hope is in our Redeemer (Job 19:25), our Savior (Romans 8:24), our Living Hope (1 Peter 1:3) —not in ourselves.
When we misplace our hope in worldly wisdom like this, we only set ourselves up for failure and disappointment if the burdensome circumstances we are carrying over into the new year don’t change.
Thirteen years ago this January, I experienced an out-of-the-blue panic attack that spiraled into a year of anxiety-related ailments. Bad days rolled into challenging months of seeing doctor after doctor (traditional and natural), trying to make sense of disparate medical opinions and remedies recommended, while my symptoms worsened.
I was desperate for physical healing, permanent relief from chronic physical anxiety. And my faith was challenged: Why wouldn’t God help me power through without needing medication? Why wouldn’t He provide a miraculous rescue from my afflictions?
However, I realized that I was placing my hope in outcomes I defined as good, outcomes such as physical healing and returning to “normal” self-sufficient me. Instead, it felt like my nervous system was in charge, and I could no longer white-knuckle my way through.
Maybe you are starting the new year in a similar place of desperation, looking for assurance that this year might be different, and affirmations that “you are enough,” that “you can do anything you set your mind to,” or even that “you’re fine just the way you are” are appealing. Yet God’s plan for us is that we will change—not by our might or our ability to focus on positive thinking, but by the transforming power of His Word and our hope in Him.
When our hope is firmly anchored in heaven, not in this ever-changing, unstable world, we can trust that our security is already held fast by Christ. This means that when life feels unstable or overwhelming, we don’t have to be swept away by fear or doubt.
Just like an anchor keeps a ship steady during storms, while being secured somewhere outside the ship itself, our hope is not rooted in our circumstances or ourselves, but in Christ, who has entered the inner place behind the curtain—the very presence of God—as our High Priest and forerunner. As I began to let go of my expectations for God’s response to my prayers, He brought me to a place in life where my confidence wasn’t based on what I could control, but what Christ has already secured for me in eternity.
Instead of letting circumstances determine your peace, know that your hope for this new year can be anchored in God’s presence. Even in uncertain seasons, even if your “new year” plans don’t turn out the way you’d hoped, He remains steadfast and sure.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13, ESV)
Questions for Reflection:
1. Are you starting out the new year with uncertainty or hopeful expectancy?
2. Have you found comfort in worldly wisdom that sounded helpful at the time? Ask for God’s discernment when good ideas are not “God ideas.”
3. How do these verses speak to you about how God wants to steady you in the storms and strengthen your heart?
