Growing in Hope — and Helping Others Do the Same
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Romans 15:13 (NASB)
Hope is oxygen for the soul. Without it, faith grows weary and love loses its energy. With it, even the darkest season becomes bearable. Scripture doesn’t describe hope as a fragile wish—it presents it as a living anchor, fastened to the unchanging promises of God.
We all go through times when hope feels dim. Life’s disappointments, unanswered prayers, or long seasons of waiting can cause the horizon of our hearts to cloud over. Yet God not only wants to restore our hope; He wants to grow it—and to use us to help others find it as well.
Let’s look together at what it means to grow in hope, how God cultivates it, and how we can be instruments of hope in the lives of those around us.
1. Hope Begins with Believing God’s Character
Paul’s prayer in Romans 15:13 begins with this phrase: “Now may the God of hope…”
That short expression tells us everything about where hope comes from. It doesn’t come from circumstances, from personality, or from mere optimism. Hope comes from knowing who God is.
The more we know His heart, the more confident we become in His promises. Our hope deepens not because life gets easier, but because our trust in His character gets stronger.
The psalmist wrote:
“For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth.” — Psalm 71:5 (NASB)
Notice that the focus isn’t on what the psalmist hopes for, but on whom he hopes in. Christian hope is not rooted in outcomes—it’s rooted in relationship. We don’t hope in luck, effort, or fate; we hope in a living Person whose goodness cannot fail.
When you find yourself struggling to hold onto hope, start by reminding yourself of who God has already proven Himself to be. Reflect on His past faithfulness. Remember answered prayers, unexpected provisions, or moments of comfort you didn’t think would come. Rehearse His record.
Hope grows best in the soil of remembrance.
2. Hope Grows Through God’s Word
Romans 15:4 tells us, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Scripture is not just a history book—it is a hope book. Every page reveals the trustworthiness of the One who keeps His word. The same God who brought Israel through the Red Sea, who sustained Elijah through drought, who raised Lazarus from the dead, is your God today.
When we read His promises, we are not just studying doctrine—we are inhaling hope.
That’s why daily time in God’s Word is essential to growing in hope. Without it, we are like plants trying to grow without sunlight.
A practical way to cultivate hope through Scripture is to create a “Hope Journal.” Each day, write down one verse that reminds you of God’s faithfulness. Over time, those verses become like stepping stones across the waters of doubt—markers that guide you back to solid ground when fear rises.
Some good starting points include:
• Psalm 42:11 — “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him.”
• Lamentations 3:21–24 — “The Lord’s mercies never cease… therefore I have hope.”
• Isaiah 40:31 — “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.”
• Romans 8:24–25 — “If we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
Each time you meditate on these truths, hope takes deeper root in your heart.
3. Hope Is Strengthened Through Trials
Hope doesn’t grow in comfort; it grows in challenge.
Paul writes in Romans 5:3–4,
“We exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.”
That’s not the path any of us would choose, but it is the one God uses. Trials refine faith the way fire refines gold. Each time we walk through hardship and find God faithful again, our confidence in Him becomes stronger and steadier.
This means that even suffering is never wasted. God uses the very things that seem to threaten our hope to strengthen it instead. When we endure, when we keep believing even when we can’t see, hope matures from a fragile feeling into a steady conviction.
Ask Joseph, who endured prison before the palace. Ask Daniel, who stood firm among lions. Ask Paul, who sang hymns in a cell. Their hope did not depend on what they could see—it depended on the One who held them fast.
When your hope feels small, remember that you are in the growing season.
4. Hope Flourishes in Community
Hope thrives in fellowship. God never intended for us to nurture hope in isolation.
Hebrews 10:23–24 says:
“Let us hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds.”
We need each other to keep believing. When our own faith trembles, the encouragement of others can hold us up. Sometimes the most powerful ministry we can offer is simply to say, “I’ve been there—and God was faithful.”
Helping others grow in hope does not require eloquence or expertise. It requires presence. It means walking alongside someone who is discouraged, listening without rushing to fix, and reminding them gently that God has not changed.
You might help restore hope in someone’s heart by:
• Sharing how God met you in a season of uncertainty.
• Sending Scripture verses or prayers that speak life.
• Offering practical help in times of need.
• Simply being a steady, compassionate presence.
Hope shared is hope multiplied.
5. Hope Points to Eternity
Ultimately, all our earthly hopes are meant to aim our hearts toward one great and final hope: the return of Christ and the restoration of all things.
Titus 2:13 calls this “the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”
No matter how bleak the world becomes, this truth stands: history is not ending in chaos but in Christ’s victory. Every tear will be wiped away; every injustice will be made right; every longing will be fulfilled.
This is not fantasy—it is the unbreakable promise of God. And when we live in that expectation, we become people who radiate hope to a hopeless world.
6. Helping Others Catch the Light
If hope is light, then we are called to be mirrors—reflecting it toward those who cannot yet see.
You can help others grow in hope by:
1. Speaking words of life. Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.” Even a few sentences of genuine encouragement can revive someone’s heart.
2. Praying specifically for hope. Paul prayed that believers would “abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” We can do the same for one another.
3. Living hopefully yourself. Nothing inspires hope like watching someone else endure with joy. Your calm trust in God amid trial becomes a testimony more powerful than any sermon.
The world does not need more cheerleaders of optimism—it needs ambassadors of hope, people whose confidence rests not in changing times but in the unchanging God.
A Closing Prayer
Father, You are the God of hope. Teach me to trust Your character more deeply, to rest in Your promises, and to see Your hand even when I don’t understand. Grow in me a hope that endures through every storm. And let my life become a channel of Your hope to others—lifting the weary, strengthening the fainthearted, and pointing every soul toward the sure and certain hope of Jesus Christ. Amen.