As Christians living in the world, awaiting the fulfillment of Christ’s promises to return and collect the elect for His kingdom, life can sometimes feel full of tension. We see the hurt, terror, injustice, and misery that occurs throughout the world (sometimes we experience it to one degree or another) and we feel helpless to do anything about it.
Broken families.
Natural disasters.
Corrupt governments made up of corrupt politicians.
Disease.
Terrorism.
Mistreatment of innocent people.
Slavery and human trafficking.
Sinful people hurting one another because all they know how to do is serve themselves.
It is too much to take, as we begin to dwell on it. The inescapable tragedy of the human condition is too weighty for words. It is more than enough to cause despair that can’t be overcome if our perspective is man-centered.
The hope … the weight of glory
But for those of us who have repented of our sin and trusted Jesus Christ as our gracious and forgiving Savior, we have a different perspective. One that gives hope and meaning to every day and allows us to be full of gratitude and joy regardless of what life hands us or those around us.
The weight of the world is burdensome. But the weight of glory …
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
As we live for Christ, and study God’s word, we see an unmistakable perspective that teaches us to look beyond the pain and suffering of this world and look to the unshakable hope we have, not only for the future, but for each and every moment.
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” – Hebrews 12:2-3
Troubles of the world that come crashing into our lives can take our eyes off our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, and all too often they do. But they needn’t, and they shouldn’t. If we believe that “God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), then we can rejoice in all circumstances (See 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Thinking on these things is a great solace for times of trouble.
Thinking of the great joy that awaits us as one day Christ ushers us home to enjoy perfection and the end of all suffering in the presence of the Father, Son and Spirit for all eternity ought to give us reason to praise God day and night. And as we look to Him and cling to His promises, we find that our own troubles pale in comparison. And that is just as it should be.
If you have any questions about this topic, please leave a comment – I would love to talk more about it. Thank you for reading!
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