Over the past few weeks, it seems like few conversations don’t begin with or include references to COVID-19.
Constant conversations, government updates and the evening news reports have given us very little to feel good about. If we are not careful, negativity and despair can begin to creep in.
Unfortunately, it seems like the coronavirus is going to be with us for a while. So what do you do when you feel the darkness starting to set in? How do you handle it when you feel like hope is receding?
In the book of 1 Peter, the apostle was writing to new believers who were really discouraged. Some had lost their jobs. Others had been uprooted from their homes. Many were separated from their families and scattered over the countryside because of their belief in Jesus. Their sense of security had been totally disrupted. Peter reminded them (and us) that even though they were hurting, they had a realistic hope that could sustain them through it all.
In 1 Peter 1:3-4, he said, “Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you…”
The hope this world has to offer is short-lived, but Christians can experience a lasting and living hope that is based on the historical fact that Jesus Christ rose from the grave.
It has been said that everyone needs someone to love, something to do and something to hope for. I believe that. We need something to look forward to. We need to remember that short-term hopes energize us for today. And that’s good. We need hope for today.
That is the value of finding a hobby or something you enjoy doing apart from your normal routine. The expectation of something exciting to do tomorrow keeps us energized today. Current conditions can be discouraging if we only focus on the short term.
Long-term hope could be the things you’re working toward or planning for three to six months from now. Long-term hopes might include things you are looking forward to in 2021 and beyond. Long-term hope is what motivates us to keep working, keep pressing on day by day.
The greatest long-term hope is the eternal hope we have in Jesus. I want to encourage you to look past current conditions to focus on our eternal hope in Jesus Christ. In him, we have a living hope, a lasting hope and an eternal hope that is not connected to current conditions. In his great mercy, God has given us a living and lasting hope.
Steve Greene is the lead pastor of The Point in Seymour. Read his blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or email him at [email protected]. Send comments to [email protected].