“Expect the worst and hope for the best!”

If I could only count the number of times I’ve said that in my life. Especially when facing challenging circumstances where the outcome is out of my control. It’s a catch phrase I rattle off without even thinking.

Here’s another one: “It’s all in God’s hands.”

True. It is all in God’s hands. But I’m sad to share that more often than not, when I say that, I’m expecting that even if this goes sideways, God’s got it. Why is my default not to expect the very best?

I think when you’ve prayed the same prayers, experienced a steady stream of disappointments, and watched doors close instead of open, it’s natural to stop expecting good things (or things that we think are good). It’s safer not to hope, because hope makes us vulnerable. It means risking disappointment again.

However, when we stop hoping, we slip into self-protection. I know this because I have found myself in this space time and time again. “Expect the worst, hope for the best…” has more often than not been my quiet defense against disappointment. But that posture doesn’t leave much room for God. It shrinks His role down to whether or not things go my way. God isn’t a wish-granter, making things happen or not happen on our timeline. Hope was never meant to hinge on outcomes, but rather to remain open to what God can do. Hope keeps our hearts soft, able to expect and recognize goodness, even when it shows up differently than we imagined. When we keep hoping, we align ourselves with the deeper truth that God’s goodness is constant, no matter our circumstances.

Why It’s Important to Still Be Hopeful (Even When We Don’t Feel Like It)

Hope is believing that even when things aren’t fine, they’re not final. It reminds us that our hope doesn’t belong in temporary things but in a faithful God who redeems what we’ve lost and fulfills what’s truly good in His time.

Here’s the paradox: Hope doesn’t deny pain; it defies it. It’s an act of resistance, choosing to trust that God’s character is still good even when His plan doesn’t make sense to us. I believe that hope and trust go hand-in-hand. Hope sustains faith, because it’s the soil where trust grows. Every time we choose hope, we’re saying, “The story isn’t finished yet.” Even if the chapter we’re in feels like a loss or a huge disappointment.

We can be both honest and hopeful.
We can say, “This hurts,” and still whisper, “But God is not done.”
We can acknowledge our disappointment without surrendering to utter despair.

Because hope shouldn’t be based on outcomes we’re experiencing in life; it should be based on our relationship with our Creator.
The reason we keep hoping is because we know the character of the One who created us.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” 
– Hebrews 6:19

Anchors don’t move when stormy waters churn; they hold steady until the seas calm again.

So, why stay hopeful? Because hope keeps our hearts awake to possibility. Because it keeps us tender enough for joy to find its way back in. And because, even if the last dozen things we hoped for didn’t go the way we prayed, the God who met us there is still the same. He’s still writing, still working, and still redeeming.

We may not be able to force ourselves to always be hopeful, but we can certainly make room for it in prayer, gratitude, rest, and even simply noticing the good around us. Hope can illuminate what’s possible.

Practical Ways to Invite Hope Back Into Our Lives

In the spirit of changing my own posture, here are some ways I’m igniting hope into my life:

1. Start by Admitting Its Absence

The first act of hope isn’t trying harder, it’s being honest with God: “I want to believe again, but I don’t know how.” Throughout Scripture, people who rediscovered hope didn’t begin with strength. They began with surrender. The psalmists cried out, Elijah hid in exhaustion, and even Jesus wept. That honest posture invites God to meet us where we are and not where we think we should be.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” 
– Psalm 34:18

2. Remember Who Hope Comes From

We often confuse hope in God with hope for an outcome. True hope isn’t “things will get better soon.” It’s “God is still here, and He is still good.” When we shift from hoping for results to hoping in God’s character, we find stability again. Try anchoring yourself daily in reminders of who God is versus what you want Him to do. Read Bible verses that describe His faithfulness, listen to worship that centers on His sovereignty, and write down times He has carried you before.

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” 
– Isaiah 40:31

3.  Reignite Gratitude

Gratitude can be the spark that reignites hope. When we begin to notice God’s fingerprints in a sunrise, a text from a friend, or a moment of quiet, we start to remember that He’s still at work. This doesn’t minimize discomfort or pain, but it magnifies God’s presence within it. Start small: one line a day in a journal or note on your phone. The practice itself retrains our hearts to expect goodness again.

4. Receive Hope from Others

Sometimes, when you can’t carry your own hope, you need to borrow someone else’s.
That’s what the body of Christ is for. Surround yourself with people who will pray when you can’t, remind you what’s true when you forget, and speak life over what feels lifeless. Even in Scripture, people rarely found hope alone. God used community—Ruth and Naomi, Paul and Timothy, Mary and Elizabeth—to stir up belief again.

5. Recommit to Spiritual Practices that Keep You Close

Hope is a byproduct of proximity to God. When we reconnect to Him through prayer, worship, Scripture, and rest, we’re reconnecting to the Source of hope itself. Even if it feels mechanical at first, keep showing up. Sit in the quiet. Let your prayers be simple and real. Over time, you’ll start to sense His nearness, and where God is, hope naturally follows.

Hope Eternal

True hope is anchored in the eternal God Himself, the One who placed hope within us from the beginning.Because hope comes from God, it carries His nature – unchanging, steady, and good. It isn’t meant to leave us disappointed or disillusioned when things don’t go our way. Hope in the Lord is not about getting what we want but about trusting that His plans are always good and will ultimately be fulfilled in His time and His way.

When we anchor our hope in Him, we find that it doesn’t run out, fade, or fail. It becomes a lifeline and a reminder that no matter what we face, God’s promises stand firm.

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry that so often I brace for disappointment instead of expecting Your victory. Thank You for Your endless grace and for planting hope within our hearts. A hope that isn’t tied to this world, but to Your eternal promises. Help us keep our eyes fixed on You when the world pulls for our attention. Remind us that the hope You give is eternal, steady, and sure. Thank You for loving us so deeply that we can rest in the assurance of Your everlasting hope. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.