Proverbs 13.12
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Many commentators use this verse to describe the psychology of disappointment. I do not believe that is the purpose or meaning of this verse. The theme of the verse is hope, and it is important to understand the difference between the Christian view of hope and the world’s view of hope.
The world’s view of hope is tied to circumstances. The Christian’s view of hope is tied to God’s promises and faithfulness. This is critical because in a fallen world almost everything we “hope for” is delayed.
As I said yesterday, what you hope for and set your heart on matters, and so does your discipline and perseverance in pursuing what you hope for. Foolish people hope for the wrong things, and when their hope is delayed or deferred (which is inevitable in a fallen world), their heart is crushed. As a result, they give up.
Hope for the Christian is a certainty, because it is grounded in God’s promises and faithfulness. Christians hope for and desire many things that are delayed or don’t happen, but those things do not discourage the faithful followers of Jesus.
The book of James says this: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1.2-4)
The word that James uses for “steadfastness” is hupomone, which can also be translated “endurance” or “perseverance.” It literally means “to bear up under.” The idea is this: Keep going. No matter how hard it gets—no matter the pain or difficulty or darkness—don’t quit. Stay the course. Never give up.
Unfortunately, many people give up too easily. When it gets uncomfortable or difficult, people first tend to compromise, and then they quit. They give in to mediocrity and give up to defeat. This is not the way of the kingdom of God. When the Christian faith is rightly lived, it is tenaciously persistent. It is relentless.
James tells us that the critical factor is faith. The reason why deeply committed Christians are tenaciously persistent? The reason they are relentless? The reason they never give up? It is because they believe. They trust God. They know who he is, and they have responded to his call on their life. They have accepted the mission that God has assigned to them: live and work in the midst of a fallen and broken world, and do so in a way that reflects the reality of God’s love and lordship.
God has designed a world where the “secret” to success isn’t a secret. It’s a discipline: the cumulative impact of daily action repeated over time. And since there is enormous power in persistence, it is no surprise that the evil one is “the god of giving up.” Satan is the source of the quitting voice. Do not listen to him. Listen to the voice of the God who loves you and calls you to himself… and be tenaciously persistent. Be relentless.
Yes, it is often difficult. But the very nature of faith-driven hupomone is that it endures and persists through the hard things. It actually thrives and gets better when it gets hard. The hope of the Christian, even though it is often delayed, remains steadfast.
Paul taught the same message in Romans 5.3-5: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
“The word for “endurance” used here in Romans 5 is again hupomone, the same used for “steadfastness” in James 1. In the midst of suffering and adversity, followers of Christ can rejoice (albeit sometimes through gritted teeth) because they trust God and know that they are fulfilling the mission to which he has called them. This fuels perseverance, which in turn builds character, which in turn produces an unshakeable hope and confidence that is confirmed by the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, who “pours the love of God into our hearts.”
Again, the critical factor is faith and perseverance. We must trust God in the midst of difficulty. We must be Christ-centered, not self-centered. And we must be tenaciously persistent.
Let us then trust our God, align our personal and professional goals with his word, and pursue those goals with relentless persistence. When adversity strikes, which it will, let us embrace the hard things and keep going. No matter how hard it gets — no matter the difficulty or darkness or pain—don’t quit. Stay the course. Don’t listen to the god of giving up.
