To be successful long-term, hope and recovery should go hand-in-hand. Early recovery can be especially trying and leave people feeling defeated. Along with physical withdrawal symptoms, the initial stages of recovery and adjusting to a sober lifestyle can come with psychological hurdles. It’s not uncommon for people to feel depressed, irritable, and utterly hopeless as they try to adjust. Our Christian-based rehab shares more about hope in recovery and inspiring verses to remember and to make this process smoother.

Hope in the Bible

Hopelessness weighs us down. It can be like losing a part of your soul. This being said, we can withstand tremendous suffering as long as we believe there is a greater purpose for it. We may not understand the reason for our pain, but we need to trust that God does have a purpose for any suffering.

Hope is mentioned around 130 times in 121 verses in the Bible - so it’s safe to say it’s a pretty important topic in scripture. Hope can be defined as the action of trusting in, waiting for, looking for, or desiring something or someone or expecting something beneficial in the future.

Hebrews 6:19 further defines hope as an anchor for the soul: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure….” An anchor keeps a boat grounded and provides stability throughout a storm. If we are not grounded and stable during the storms of life, it is easy to drift away from our faith.

Other popular Bible verses about hope include:

• Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
• 2 Corinthians 4:18 - "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
• Romans 12:12 - "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer."
• Romans 15:4 - "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."
• Psalm 147:11 - "The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love."

All too often, during difficult times, we look for stability in the wrong places, including alcohol, drugs, and unhealthy relationships. These can cause us to become even more hopeless than before. Fortunately, the Bible is a great place to learn more about sustaining hope for addiction recovery.

The Importance of Hope in Addiction Recovery

As we previously mentioned, feelings of hopelessness can ultimately make recovery unsuccessful and lead to relapse. In some cases, the reason people turn to drugs and alcohol in the first place is because of these feelings of despair.

When they can’t escape their negative thoughts, these substances may be able to numb their pain. In recovery, these emotions and feelings of hopelessness can trigger cravings that can be overwhelming.

In other cases, hopelessness can hinder the recovery journey. If people feel like they are not making any progress or that things will never get better, they may stop trying. Eventually, this may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, and they could fall back into their addiction. Instead of letting these negative feelings get the best of your sobriety, finding hope in substance abuse recovery could be what you need to make it through these tough times.

How to Find Hope in Recovery

Being hopeful in recovery is different for everyone. For some people, hope is hearing other people’s testimonials who have been in similar situations and made it through. For others, hope comes from relying on faith and trusting in God.

Whether you recently left rehab or you have been in recovery for several years, it’s important to maintain hope in sobriety even when times get tough. Our residential Christian drug rehab wants to support you in your journey. Below, we share some tips on how to find hope in recovery and sustain long-term sobriety.

Get Support

Many people who feel hopeless also feel alone. They may believe they have no one to count on, so facing recovery alone becomes much more overwhelming. Having the support of others during your recovery journey can help lift you. Find local 12-step meetings, join a church group, talk to a spiritual leader, and be open with friends and family. Being surrounded by those who want to support you can reassure you that others will be there to pick you up when you fall and give you hope for when times get challenging.

Pray

The benefits of prayer in recovery are more numerous than many people realize. Not only can prayer allow you to reach out to a higher power for help, but it can also help you feel less alone. If you are too afraid to reach out to someone else for help, prayer allows you to voice your struggles privately and feel heard. You may also find that your prayers are answered.

Find Your Passion

Finding hope in sobriety may be more about finding your passion. Some people begin to feel hopeless because they may feel like they have nothing to live for and their days will never get better. Finding something you feel passionate about can give your life more purpose and reason. It may also give you something to look forward to regularly that can push you to keep moving forward.

Focus on the Positives

Having hope in recovery is about looking at the bright side of things. All too often, people in early recovery will dwell on the negatives, but this type of thinking can leave someone feeling bogged down and overwhelmed. In some cases, this type of negative thinking may have been a big cause of your substance abuse in the first place. Instead, make a conscious effort to think positively. The more you can look on the bright side, the more hope you will have that things will continue to get better.

Read Scripture

The verses previously mentioned are just a few of the over one hundred verses about the hope that can inspire you. The Bible offers examples of people who experienced challenges and stress at unimaginable levels and how they remained hopeful through them. Allow these stories and verses to support you in your quest to find hope in recovery and in sustaining abstinence.

Our Christian Addiction Recovery Services

Although many people do not realize it, finding and maintaining hope in early recovery is imperative to long-term success in sobriety. Early recovery comes with many hurdles, but maintaining hope can help you overcome these challenges and make it to better days.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, there is hope. Our faith-based addiction recovery programs help people just like you move past their substance abuse problems and work toward a brighter tomorrow.

To learn more about our Christ-centered addiction treatment, call Faith in Recovery at 888-280-4763 or send us your contact information, and an admission specialist will reach out to you.

Related Reading:

Best Daily Devotionals for People in Addiction Recovery

What the Bible Says About Addiction