Every soul hopes! Often man has hopes that appear only worldly. Aspirations for a nice home, good job and to remain young. At the center of these worldly hopes, though, lies a deeper and purer hope, which may have become disordered or misguided. A desire for a beautiful home indicates a desire for a perfect home in Heaven. The hope for a successful career shows within the man’s soul is the altruistic hope of being glorified by glorifying God. Man’s desire to remain young and alive shows the soul’s longing for eternal life.
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” St Augustine of Hippo
The reason our hopes become disordered is because we can’t see the true good except through eyes of faith. Faith gives us eyes to see what we cannot see and obtain what cannot be obtained in this world.
Faith believes that these hopes for the greater goals are real and can, by the power of God, be fully realized. This faith justifies the soul in the sight of the Perfect God, enabling him to perform as a child of the Father the works of the Father. Jesus revealed this truth to His disciples in John 16:8 saying, “in this My Father is glorified, that you may bear much fruit and become My disciples.”
The faith of an imperfect soul in the Perfect God justifies the man, granting the soul real power to accomplish the works of God. “Faith without works is dead” James 2:24. By believing in God and the Son He sent, the man of faith “can do all things through Christ Who strengthens him.” Philippians 4:13