Wishing and Hoping

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
What is the difference between wishing and hoping? Is there some fundamental difference between “I wish that my life had purpose” and “I hope that my life has purpose”?

I think for Christians that there is a fundamental difference. A wish is just a desire tossed into the sky. There are times that hope is the same way. Do you think that in the normal world, that a hope is just a wish is just a desire?

Christian hope is “the anchor for our soul.” It isn’t a desire; it’s knowledge. It’s a trust that for God, everything is possible. If our hope is in Christ, then there is no wishing involved.

“I hope my life has purpose,” changes to “In Christ, I have hope that my life has purpose.” The difference may be subtle semantically, but in reality, the difference is night and day.

Christian hope has no connection to our desires. We don’t wish it into being. When we see a situation that we believe is “hopeless” by the standards of society, Christian hope is that bone-deep conviction that God can make a difference.

He makes that difference through you and me, equipping us with gifts, ideas, creativity and the means to change the world. WE don’t wish that we could; we know that we can, in partnership with God. It is our hope. It is our gift from God.