Is Hope Greater Than Character?
Is Hope Greater Than Character?
By Steve Backlund
Romans 5:3–4 gives us powerful insight into how we mature in the Lord. Paul describes what could almost be called a four-step process: “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces [perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Each one leads to the next, and what fascinates me is where the process ends. I would have expected character to be the final destination. After all, character is incredibly important to Christian maturity. Yet Paul doesn't stop there. Proven character produces hope. Why would hope come after character?
Character is incredibly important. It means we live by our core values, walk in integrity, keep our word, become consistent, and make good choices even when no one is watching. Yet Paul doesn't end the progression with character. Again, proven character produces hope.
That raises an interesting question: Why would hope come after character? Why might increasing hope be one of the greatest signs of maturity (if not the greatest)?
My favorite definition of hope is this: Hope is the belief that the future will be better than the present, and we have the power to help make it so. Hope is not wishful thinking or denying reality. It is a confident expectation about the future that changes how we see and live in the present.
Here are five reasons I believe hope is such a powerful evidence of maturity.
1. Hope Helps Us Recognize What God Is Doing
Hope gives our attention a direction. Because hope expects that God is at work and good is possible, we begin looking for evidence of His activity.
Jesus told His disciples, “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35). The harvest was already happening, but they weren't seeing it. Jesus was helping them recognize what was already there.
Hope causes us to look for what God is doing, and because we are looking for it, we are more likely to recognize it. Hopelessness asks, “Why isn't anything happening?” Hope asks, “What is God doing that I may not be seeing yet?”
This is one reason hope is evidence of maturity. The mature believer is not someone who has experienced enough life to become cynical, but someone who has experienced enough of God to become more hopeful.
2. Hope Causes Us to See Potential in People
Character helps us treat people well. Hope helps us see who they can become.
A hope-filled parent sees more than a child's present struggle. A hope-filled leader sees more than someone's weaknesses. A hope-filled person can look at someone others have written off and still see potential, purpose, and a future.
This is one reason hope increases our influence. People often begin seeing a better future for themselves when they spend time with someone who already sees one for them.
Character causes people to trust who we are. Hope helps people believe in who they can become.
3. Hope Gives Us Vision
Hope enables us to see beyond present circumstances and envision a future worth moving toward. Hope sees what could be, not just what is.
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). We need God-given vision because what we see about the future affects how we live in the present. Without a hopeful future, we lose motivation and direction.
This is why hope produces dreamers, builders, pioneers, and problem-solvers. They see possibilities that don't yet exist and have a reason to move toward them.
Hope refuses to let present conditions prophesy our future.
4. Hope Gives Us Energy and Purpose
Why keep trying? Why invest in people? Why build something? Why get back up after disappointment? We do these things because we believe something good is possible.
Hopelessness drains energy. Hope releases energy.
When we believe there is no solution, no future, and no possibility for change, passivity begins to make sense. When hope rises, we have a reason to move.
Hope gives purpose to perseverance because we aren't merely enduring something. We believe we are going somewhere.
5. Hope Increases Our Influence
I frequently say, “Our hope level determines our influence level,” and “He who has the most hope has the most influence.”
Think about what it is like to be around genuinely hope-filled people. They don't primarily remind us of what is wrong. They help us see what is possible. Their hope gives us courage to try again, take healthy risks, recover from mistakes, and believe change is possible.
Hope-filled people tend to make other people hopeful.
Good character makes us trustworthy leaders. Hope makes us transformational leaders.
Conclusion: Maturity Looks Hopeful
Character matters deeply. We want to be people of integrity who keep our word, live by our values, and can be trusted. Yet Romans 5 gives us a fascinating picture of maturity: proven character produces and leads to hope.
This challenges the idea that becoming mature means becoming more cautious, skeptical, or “realistic” because of everything we have experienced. Biblical maturity moves us in another direction. As we really mature, there is a growing confidence in God, His goodness, His promises, and His ability to work in people and circumstances.
Our maturity should not only be evident in our character, but, more importantly, it is to be evident in our hope.
Maybe one of the best questions we can ask about our spiritual growth is not, “Am I becoming a person of greater character?” but, “Am I becoming a person of greater hope?”
Mature people get their hopes up.
Declarations:
The more I mature in Christ, the more hopeful I become.
My life experiences are strengthening my hope, not reducing it.
I am becoming so convinced of God’s goodness that disappointment cannot make me cynical.
I consistently recognize what God is doing because hope has trained my eyes to see.
My hope gives others courage to believe, dream, and move forward.
