We live in an age where hopelessness is on the increase. People have bought into the lie of Satan that we are hopeless creatures in the hands of fate and unable to do anything about it. Hopelessness is a strategy of Satan to keep us down. He wants us to live in defeat, discouragement, and despair. If he can fill us with hopelessness, he has won a great victory in our lives.
Hope is really a matter of perspective. What is our perspective in life? Paul refers to those whose perspective is on earthly things in Philippians 3:19. This would encompass the vast majority of people today. Most people are focused on earthly things rather than eternal things. Even in the church many people fail to have an eternal perspective. They see life as here and now. While they may believe that they will go to heaven when they die, their view of life is almost indistinguishable from non-Christians.
But what happens when Christians adopt that perspective on life? If we adopt a perspective that focuses almost exclusively on this life, we will soon find ourselves disillusioned with life. We will become discouraged; perhaps we may even despair. Why? Because this life will always come up short. It will never satisfy us. That’s because it can’t. We need more that what this life has to offer. We need an eternal hope to keep us going when times get tough. And the good news is that we have one!
What is your focus? What is your perspective on life? Your perspective will determine how you live. It will also determine the level of your satisfaction with life. We have a hope that can keep us going.
