There are moments in which our world is turned upside down and the foundation of our hope is exposed. All too often our hope is placed in the small stories of our life and not anchored in the larger story God is telling.
This is rarely intentional or conscious. If asked, we would confidently say our hope is in God and his promises for us. And we truly believe this.
But it’s a truth not tested until our life is shaken to the core.
When our marriage is on the verge of divorce and our children no longer speak to us, when our job lets us go and evil continually threatens the safety of our loved ones – our hope is tested.
Without realizing it we often place our expectations for life on friends and family, getting a particular job and earning a certain income, or having certain political leaders elected and passing various laws.
These are not bad things and it’s only reasonable to look to them to some degree.
But we’re left disappointed when our hope doesn’t rest finally in God himself. It’s only through Christ we ultimately live victoriously despite whatever calamities come our way.
To be sure, let’s pray for the success of our marriage, to be spared from suffering, for social ills to be eliminated, and the like. Let’s pray and fight for a positive outcome in all these areas.
But let us not forget it’s God who brings us life to the full. And when Christ is our life we don’t have to desperately grasp, strive, and arrange for the things of this life to come through for us.
A hope firmly anchored in God frees us from a life of worry and doubt and allows us to live boldly in power, love, and wisdom.
Where’s your hope anchored?
Photo by Dewang Gupta on Unsplash
