A Lost Virtue: Hope
With everything going on in America right now, what we need—what we really need—is hope.
Maybe not a little hope. Maybe a lot 😅.
But let me ask you something: Where are you getting your hope from?
Look around. Have you noticed how many people just walk around looking like they’ve got nothing left in them? Like they’ve already given up? It’s not just sadness anymore—it’s despair. Resignation. People are straight-up checked out. The economy’s a mess, politics are ugly, personal lives are heavy, and most folks are asking the same silent question:
What am I even holding on to?
Today’s virtue is Hope.
It’s one of the three theological virtues mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:13: faith, hope, and love. And it is powerful. Hope is future-facing. It’s rooted in something greater. But the problem is… hope’s been lost.
And what’s worse? People are out here misplacing it—anchoring it to shaky ground. We saw it in two different presidential campaigns using the word “hope” as a slogan. Hope in what, though?
Let’s get into that.
The Virtue Framework: Hope in the Middle
Every virtue lives in a balance between two extremes:
- Vice: Despair — the complete absence of hope, resignation, and spiritual paralysis.
- Extreme: Gullibility — a reckless, ungrounded optimism that believes anything without discernment.
- Virtue: Hope — the steady, anchored trust in God’s promises, realistic about the world’s brokenness but unwavering in faith.
The Absence of Hope (Despair)
When you don’t have hope, you fall into despair or resignation. And resignation hits different. It’s this quiet surrender—like you’ve just stopped fighting, stopped expecting anything good, stopped trying.
And unfortunately, this isn’t just a “worldly” problem.
Believers are falling into this pit just as hard as non-believers. And that shouldn’t be. We’re taking our eyes off of Jesus and focusing on what’s falling apart around us.
But Jesus said:
“Cast all your cares on me.” – 1 Peter 5:7
“Don’t worry about tomorrow.” – Matthew 6:34
And yet… we’re still out here absorbing fear and hopelessness from the culture like sponges.
Non-believers don’t have the promises of God to cling to. When they say “I have hope,” it’s like—hope in what? Hope in “humanity”? That’s cute, but also tragic. History has never shown humanity to be a solid foundation. Civilizations collapse. Nations decay. People fail. Over and over.
There is no hope outside of Jesus Christ.
Why the World’s Falling Apart
Look at America. We’ve thrown out God. We’ve tossed aside faith. And we’re surprised that things are unraveling?
We’re a nation trying to function without the foundation we were built on. Seriously! I was reading the Declaration of Independence the other day, and God, divine Providence, Creator are all over it. So what are we seeing instead in America? Chaos. Disconnection. Selfishness. Sin.
People are scratching their heads, wondering, “Why is everything so bad?” while still refusing to return to God.
No God. No hope. That’s it.
But Believer—You Have Hope
We don’t just have hope in death—we have it in life, too.
Speaking to my fellow believers for a second, especially the ones in a spiritual slump: I see you.
You believe you’re saved, but life isn’t lining up. You’re stuck in the same sins. You’re exhausted trying to “fix” yourself. You’re tired.
That’s because you’re leaning on your own strength.
The world calls it self-improvement. For the believer, it’s called sanctification. The difference? It’s the work of the Holy Spirit.
We’re not supposed to be doing this alone.
You can’t overcome sin by white-knuckling your way through it or using your willpower. (Check out my TikTok video on how Jesus breaks addictions. Powerful stuff!)
And no, falling short doesn’t mean you’ve lost your salvation. If you’ve truly repented and trusted in Jesus, you are His.
Satan wants you to feel otherwise.
But feelings aren’t facts. You’re not alone. You have God in you.
The Holy Spirit also isn’t a feeling. He’s a person. The 3rd person in the Godhead specifically. He’s a Helper, a guide, a strength-giver. We forget this, but we need Him—desperately. We make our walk harder than it is. The Old Testament saints didn’t have Him, we do!
Hope in the Valleys
Life is going to be hard. Period. There will be seasons that feel like hell on earth. Just ask Job. That man went through it. And still—he said:
“Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him.” — Job 13:15
Hope showed up in the fire. That’s what we’re offered.
Unlike Job, we have the Holy Spirit now. We have even more help. But we keep forgetting we have access to God Himself.
Non-believers? They’ll turn to meds, therapy, and escapism.
Believers? We (should) turn to the Word, the Church, and the Spirit of God.
That’s our strength.
Hope in Life and Death
Let’s talk about this two-fold hope we’ve got: Hope in life and in death.
We have the promise of eternal life. Jesus went ahead of us to prepare a place.
He said:
“Let not your heart be troubled… I go to prepare a place for you.” — John 14:1-2
That’s real. That’s concrete. That’s what we hold onto when everything else is crumbling.
But also—He helps us now. In the present. In our daily walk. He strengthens us to overcome sin. He transforms our desires. And as we grow in Him, we actually start to sin less. That’s not pride. That’s progress. That’s sanctification.
And trust me, joy follows holiness. You’re not “missing out” by giving up sin. You’re gaining peace, clarity, purpose, and real joy. You’re not alone, and you’re not without help. That’s hope.
Don’t Be Gullible—Guard Your Hope
Here’s the flip side:
Sometimes we get so hopeful that we become… gullible.
Especially right now. There’s a surge of people coming to Christ—and that’s beautiful. But with that, there’s a lack of discernment. Weak doctrine. Shaky theology. People calling anything “revival” without testing the spirits. People judging Christianity by a TikTok bio.
That’s dangerous.
Hope doesn’t mean believing everything. It means believing in what’s true. And truth is found in God’s Word, not trends. So yes—be hopeful. Be excited. But be grounded. Be discerning. Test what you hear. Learn your Bible.
Final Word: Hold Onto Hope
Hope is a lost virtue—but it doesn’t have to stay lost.
We have more reason than anyone to be hopeful- Not because things are going great, but because God is still on the throne. He sees all. He knows all. He’s not worried. And His promises are still true.
So even if your world feels like it’s crumbling, don’t lose hope.
- You’re not alone. (Matthew 28:20)
- You’re not forgotten. (Isaiah 44:21)
- You’re not without help. (Psalm 46:1)
You have the Spirit of God, the Word of God, the Church of God, and the promises of Christ Himself.
That’s hope. Real, lasting, eternal hope.
Stay Salty Christians 😉,
Nefreteri
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