Hope vs. Faith

What is hope? The dictionary defines hope as "the feeling that what is wanted can be had". At first glance, hope and faith appear to almost be synonyms but if you go deeper you see a very clear difference. Hope is based more on a desire where faith is based on a knowing. Both relate to something that is unseen but to have faith is to truly believe in the outcome rather than wish for it. With hope, there is still a seed of doubt but when we have faith, we believe to our core that the desired outcome will prevail. 

We can either live our lives by hope or by faith. If you live by hope, you are not fully committing to your beliefs and desires. When you live by faith, you have that internal "knowing" that allows you to completely commit and believe in the outcome. Hope may provide the path but faith is our compass to travel down that path. Faith allows us to stay strong and anchored in our journey and not succumb to the challenges or trials along the way. I've learned the difference between hope and faith these past few months and yes, I choose faith! 

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" – Hebrews 11:1