In the bible, hopelessness is not explicitly called a “sin”. However, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t a kind of error in the eyes of God. In fact, if we read between the lines, hopelessness can very much be classed as a transgression. Let us explain.
What is hopelessness?
When we talk about hopelessness, we are talking about somebody having a lack of hope. They want something to happen, but they know that it is not going to happen. They have absolutely no belief.
Basically, it is expecting something to happen. Something that you really think will change your life, but you have absolutely no faith that you will get that turnaround. One that doesn’t believe that they can succeed in their life or gain a new job, for instance, would be said to have ‘hopelessness’ in the situation.
What does the bible say about hopelessness?
Not a whole lot, to be honest.
Not directly, at least.
If you keep up with your bible study, then you will know that God talks a lot about how important it is to continue to have hope in Him. It is important that you trust the way in which your life is going to head.
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
This is just one of the dozens of passages in the Bible where you are told that it is vital that you keep hope. Notice how it is not explicitly saying anything about hopelessness
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Is hopelessness a sin?
As we said at the start, there isn’t any explicit mention in the Bible that hopelessness is a sin. We do have to read between the lines.
The Bible does clearly state that you must have constant faith in God’s plan for you. It is a sin to turn your back on God’s plan. You cannot rely on your own judgment:
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.
From this passage alone, we can see that hopelessness is a sin.
One of the core tenants of Christianity is an unwavering belief in the plan that God has for you. Yes. Life is not going to feel fantastic at all times. Even those close to God will not experience 100% positivity in their life. Things do not work like that. However, it would be a sin to believe that the tribulations that you are going through are not leading to something better. If you stay close to God, then you know that even through those tribulations, he is steering you onto the path of something that is going to be much better for you.
When you have hopelessness, it demonstrates that you do not have a belief in God. After all, hopelessness shows that you do not believe that you have a positive future ahead of you. Since God is never going to punish you, this shows that you have lost your connection with God.
So, what does this all mean? Well, it means that hopelessness itself is not a sin. it is the loss of belief in God that is the sin. It is fine if you feel a little bit of despair every so often. However, you have to keep up with your prayers and constantly remind yourself that you are on this path for a reason. Things are going to be getting a lot better for you. It is vital that you continue to keep your hope in God. If you do not, then you will have sinned.
Can you repent for hopelessness as a sin?
It is fair to say that almost everybody has suffered from hopelessness at one point or another. However, thankfully, God loves us. This means that we can repent for the sins of our past, including hopelessness. We will receive salvation because God wants everybody to go to Heaven.
Obviously, there are a lot of points in the Bible that talk about repenting for your sins. Here is just one of the passages:
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Of course, in order to repent for your hopelessness, you are going to need to open up in prayer to God. Make sure that you are sincere when you repent for your hopelessness. Make sure that you lose your hopelessness as soon as you can. You can’t just repent and continue down the same path that you were traveling on.
Feeling hopeless is completely natural. It is something that even happened to Jesus He suffered from despair and opened up to Peter, James, and John as he walked through the Garden of Gethsemane. He acknowledged that he felt grieved. However, even then, he still managed to find a bit of joyfulness in the world. He was able to keep his faith, even when it was tough to do so at times.
We are not asking you to go through your entire life without feeling hopelessness. This would be a completely tough job due to everything that the world is going to throw at you. However, we do suggest that you try and get back on the right course as soon as you possibly can. Repent to God about the sin you have committed, and make sure that you start to believe in God’s plan. If you trust in his plan, then your feelings will disappear.
Conclusion
Hopelessness itself is not a sin. People are allowed to feel a little bit anxious about the situations that they are in. What is a sin is losing your belief that there is no greater plan from God. He is putting you on this path for a reason. You have to trust that. You have to keep hope in God’s plan that no matter what you are feeling right now, things are going to get a whole lot better for you. If you feel hopeless, then it is vital that you get back on track and find your faith.