I get confused about people confusing faith and hope, especially the phrase “Faith, Hope and Charity.” The first and last are virtues that require effort on an individual’s part to be effective, but the middle one – hope – only requires thought. There’s a saying that faith without work is dead, and it is true. Faith requires belief that you can accomplish, achieve, or overcome because you take the necessary steps to ensure that it happens. Hope only implies that help may be coming, and it waits for someone or something else to make it happen.

I think of it as Faith = Belief and Hope = Wishing. You take a leap of faith because you believe you can do, or you have faith in someone because you believe they can do. You hope or wish someone or something will intervene and accomplish what you don’t believe you can.

It’s also like buying lottery tickets to hope you’ll hit the number that will make you a millionaire. Only what is occurring is the depletion of your funds (instead of saving or investing them) and the only effort you are making is going to the store to buy the ticket.

I think about someone like Harriet Tubman and the work she did. If she would have based things on the hope that others would be able to follow her example, there would be a different story written. Ms. Tubman had faith that a way would be made, but it would take her initiative and hard work to make sure the Underground Railroad carried its passengers to safety.

Maybe hope is a way to not have to put faith to the test. It can only provide a positive outlook, and nothing more.

If you think it may rain, don’t hope you won’t get wet – carry an umbrella.