How to Build Mental Resilience Using the Science of Hope and Faith
The science of hope is a cognitive process—involving goal-setting, pathway-thinking, and agency—that, when combined with Biblical truth, creates a powerful foundation for mental health resilience. Read below for more insights.
"Hopeful people tend to be psychologically and physically healthier, more resilient, and more successful ...
... When people have hope, they can envision a community with a future worth investing in. Hopeful people are also likely to take action in their community advocating for change and getting involved in cooperative solutions to community problems." (1)
Hope is essential to every mental health journey as studies show hope benefits well-being, promoting healthy coping with loss and chronic stress, resilience to trauma, loneliness, and mental health recovery. (2)
Hope is not wishful thinking; it's a new reality goal.
Hope theory matches Biblical hope; it's not wishful thinking, it's an expectant new future that can be attained. Hope theory is a mindset toward new goals with two components, Pathway and Agency thinking. (3)
1. Hope Pathway Thinking
A hopeful mindset with the ability to plan and pursue goal-directed strategies while remaining flexible, agile, and adaptable when facing challenges.
2. Hope Agency Thinking
A hopeful mindset with an intrinsic motivation and enduring beliefs in one's ability to achieve goals and creatively persists despite setbacks.
This means that scientific and Biblical Hope help people envision a new possible future and a new tangible goal. By employing their available strength, no matter how small, they begin moving toward it—for themselves and naturally spreading it to others!
How does Biblical hope work for mental health in the now?
I’ll break this down into practical steps below, but first, the Biblical backdrop that empowers hope to work as both a pathway and an agency of thinking. This is a snapshot — there are immense books about all this!
Hope within (inheritance in part, learning to live from it and live it out): The hope is that Jesus the Messiah is in us (Colossians 1:27; as the Apostle Paul often writes, we are “In Christ” or “Christ in us”). This, of course, is God’s will and kind intention purposed in Him (Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected). This eliminates all condemnation, the forgiveness of sins, and removes its sting and power (forgiving our horrible regrets, even into our mental consciousness — see Hebrews 10:22 — and trying to be good enough for God on our own). So much more to all of this, but being in Christ or Christ in us, we have a constant hope that empowers us to live free, holy, and blameless — enduring with this hope.
This is why I like to say God is completely satisfied with you … down to every core of who you are — even your conscious mind (for more see Romans 8:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:56-57, Ephesians 1:4, and so many more verses).
Hope waiting (secure inheritance): The Biblical narrative is not about waiting "to go to heaven,” it’s about living in the anticipation of it finally coming to earth (see Revelation 21, 22). Thus, how Jesus taught us to pray (and live in such a way) for the Father’s “Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). N.T. Wright, a leading theological teacher, often points out that we are living between Jesus’ ascension and his appearing. So, knowing what’s truly ahead (prize, inheritance, a new resurrection, joy—hope), we endure toward this greater reality (we know it’s there). This is the hope that empowers faith, and the faith heroes and Jesus enduring for the joy set before Him (see Hebrews 11 — 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 6:4). This life is challenging and not fair, but we know Who holds all the loving cards in the end (this highlights of Romans 5:1-5).
Hope watering — watering others and the world (not living, sitting and waiting for a future, but living out the inheritance we do have — in the now): People who are full of hope naturally look to bring hope to others. Bringing hope to others is done in a variety of ways and gifts — God’s grace being distributed wonderfully with/through us (1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 2 Peter 4:10). This hope helps provide comfort, care, and restorative help for others (for example, 2 Corinthians 2:1-5).
All is not wasted (that’s what Hope is about) — Every small choice in and for Jesus (and against this world’s ways) is not wasted, nor in vain. Everything matters when hope is fulfilled (its reward comes when He appears). This is why the Apostle Paul encourages that nothing in and of your life is in vain, God cares about all of us and how we contribute to others and this world … restoring goodness (see 1 Corinthians 15:58, Galatians 6:9, and Colossians 3:23-24).
“Because we live between ascension and appearing, joined to Christ by the Spirit but still awaiting his final coming and presence, we can be both properly humble and properly confident … All that we do in faith, hope, and love in the present, in obedience to our ascended Lord and in the power of the Spirit, will be enhanced and transformed at his appearing.” (4)
Hope doesn’t add or create rules to follow; it reveals a new reality we align with, opening new pathways and agency of thinking (a better locus of control).
5 ways to put hope into action pathways and agency!
One of my sons-in-law is a semi-pro runner … he will even run for 2-hours on Christmas Day (because running is a gift and life for him). So, using his example (and the Apostle Paul’s in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27), let’s make hope apply to our mental health recovery and resilience journey.
(1) Hope visualizes what’s at the finish line — What outcome do you want? My son-in-law knows what the feeling and expectation of the finish line is; whether he’s competing to win or to finish in a certain time, he knows the joy of finishing.
> In the same way:
What specific outcome do you want to see from where you are?
What will life look like for you? What possibilities will open up?
What can you see differently at that point about your mental health journey (or as a family member)?
Freely imagine what you would like to see (more peace, less reactive to stress, more in control, improving in work, school, relationships, etc.).
(2) Preparing for the race — What do you need to do it? My son-in-law doesn’t use average running shoes; he invests in shoes designed to endure for the race.
> In the same way:
What do you need to endure your race, your journey, your process?
That might include seeing a doctor and a therapist to manage intense stress and to earn new cognitive skills and tools to mitigate stress (symptoms)?
That might include adding some new healthy practices (relaxation techniques, physical activity, nutrition — because mental health is whole-health, aka holistic)?
(3) Practice the race — What are the actions that will help get you there? My son-in-law practices running for the race, sometimes in different stages to time his pace, etc.
> In the same way:
What is one small, specific thing you can do to win today, this week?
That might include a new schedule and routine to practice what you’ve prepared?
That might include learning new, faith-integrated coping techniques that are effective against negative thoughts (again, therapists have great tools for this)?
(4) People for the race — Who are the other champions who will join and cheer you on? My son-in-law often competes in races with his running friends, and he also started a local running club.
> In the same way:
Who are the others who can “run” the race with you and cheer you on?
Who are the other people to call when you feel your “pace” slowing down?
Our Grace Groups are a great place to find other champions (of hope) who cheer each other on. Plus, they're easy to start — whether at the church or the local coffee shop with 2-3 others.
(5) Problems to prepare for — What naturally gets in the way? My son-in-law has to navigate life, marriage, two toddlers, and both he and my daughter have full-time jobs (and he likes to do all the cooking, too)! But together they find a way for him to still run and compete in races.
This is where Paul encourages us to throw off the things that hinder us, and put off “old ways of thinking” and put on “new ways” of thinking — for our new creation reality life.
It’s not if, but when obstacles come — what can you do to navigate them?
> In the same way:
What do you see as the obstacle, and what can you do to manage it?
That might include having a menu of healthy coping options on rough and tough days (again, the cognitive tools and skills and other options)?
Hope empowers endurance.
Overall, notice all these steps require your intrinsic desire, your pathway, and agency thinking. They all require effort (and it hurts to see change, too) — and hope gives you that enduring joy-effort. Remember, try everything in small steps, not huge chunks — take your time (God’s not in a rush, either).
We get more in-depth and practical with this topic of hope in our recovery in our Thrive workbook — setting hope goals for different areas for growth and resilience. In Thrive, we go more in-depth into the journey for mental wellness and resilience.
For more encouragement, you can reflect on these Scriptures for a hopeful perspective:
Romans 5:1-5
Romans 15:13
1 Corinthians 9:10
Hebrews 6:19
What do you think? Leave a comment below!
. . . .
Joe Padilla | Grace Alliance
(1) Abeyta, A. (2023, October 17). Hope is an engine for personal and community progress. Profectus Magazine. https://profectusmag.com/hope-is-an-engine-for-personal-and-community-progress/
(2) Abeyta, A. (2023, October 17). The science of hope. Human Flourishing Lab. https://humanflourishinglab.org/the-science-of-hope/
(3) ibid.
(4) Acedic Lutheran. (2021, April 1). Surprised by Hope — Throwback Thursday Books. https://acediclutheran.wordpress.com/2021/04/01/surprised-by-hope-throwback-thursday-books/ (quotation from Wright, p. 143).
