| As I re-read some recent Thursday’s Thirsts, I noticed how many times I used the word hopefully. This can be a somewhat dangerous word, so I thought I might use this week to discuss the word’s usage. Hopefully – there it is again – you will find this worth your consideration. There are multiple different ways the word hopefully can be applied. I must admit that I, also, apply it with varied definitions in mind … and that I am not always clear as to what I am thinking. My lack of clarity in thought, of course, is my problem, not yours! Hopefully is often aligned with wishful thinking. When we do this, our thoughts are aimed at a desired outcome. However our attitude is tainted with pessimism. In other words, as much as we would prefer the outcome to be according to our design, we believe the odds are against it. Here I might use hopefully this way: “Hopefully, when the presidential nominations are finalized this year, neither of the current front runners will have been nominated.” The Oxford dictionary’s definition, however, is not quite so gloomy. Rather than being “tainted with pessimism”, Oxford sees hopefully as an expressed desire that includes an expectation of fulfillment. Synonyms here include optimistically, confidently, and expectantly. This would certainly describe my attitude regarding the Detroit Lions and their playoff success this coming season. Generally, I suspect, our usage of the word tends to land midway between these two definitions. As we express our hopeful thoughts we are definitely focused upon our desired outcomes, but I think our anticipation of that outcome becoming a reality averages out relatively close to 50%. In other words, we use the word both to express pessimism and optimism while often forcing our audience to guess as to what our expectation of success is. Here I might ask you, what do you mean when you say, “Hopefully the weatherman is right in his prediction of a warm and sunny day”? I tend to be a very optimistic person. My wife ways I walk through life wearing rose-colored glasses. She likely is right – hopefuly, I say. My cup is certainly not half empty. This means that, generally speaking, when I use the word “hopefully” there is a high level of positive anticipation connected to it. In fact, I think all of God’s people should have this rose tint in the lens through which we look at life … after all, it is Jesus himself who said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mattthew 19.26) These words of Jesus dovetail nicely with Paul’s assertion that “we know for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8.28) Of course, this addresses God’s desired outcomes, not ours … except for the fact that “those who love God” – “those who are called according to his purpose” – are in the process of being transformed into his image! How does Paul put it? “We all … are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3.18) and “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12.2) In other words, through the Holy Spirit at work in us in God’s Means of Grace our desired outcomes are drawn into alignment with those of Christ Jesus … and we are enabled to believe and see that all things do work together for good! Which gets me to the Christian definition of hope – which has nothing to do with sports, elections or the weather. What it has to do with is our most important desired outcome – the desire to spend eternity with God in his new, glorious creation. You may well be familiar with the words. “We do not want you to be uniformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep … We who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4.13-14, 17) Christian hope contains two complimentary elements – complimentary even though one comes with absolute certainty and the other is absolutely unpredictable! The certain element is that “we will always be with the Lord.” The unpredictable element has to do with the “when”. In other words, when a Christian says, “I hope to go to heaven”, they are saying “I know I am going to heaven because it is Christ’s promise to me. I just don’t know when.” This will add some additional rose tint to your view of life – hopefully! |
Hopefully