I think that we run the temptation of becoming far too wrapped up in the here and now. Of course, it is a good thing to stay on top of our current Situation and make wise decisions, but as Christians, it is important to consider that our days are simply a vapor here on earth. What seems like a big deal right now, in the grand scheme of things, may not really be all that big of a deal. Ultimately, we know that all of our desires are going to be perfectly fulfilled, and we know we are on the pathway that will make that Hope a reality.

One of the most beautiful parts of Christianity is that we have a hope. However, it is not a hope in the sense that there is only a chance that it might come true. It is different than saying, “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” This is me expressing certain preferences about a certain situation. It is entirely centered on myself and what I want to happen.

The hope of Christianity is somewhat different. It is more of a noun than a verb. While it is certainly true that I hope I go to heaven, that implies that there is some type of uncertainty. It implies that I do not know, but I really desire a certain situation to come about. The hope of Christianity, however, is that one day we will live in perfect fellowship with God. We will dwell with Him eternally. As a result, it is not just wishful thinking that we want something to come true. Rather, as Christians, we have something that is one day going to fulfill all of our desires. Having a hope is different than hoping.

Because we have that kind of hope, an object that we possess as Christians in a manner of speaking, I return to my main point that we should not worry so much about the here and now. No matter what happens to us here on earth, we know that it is only temporary, and we are going somewhere better. In fact, we are going somewhere that is better than anything we could ever imagine. We have never experienced perfection, so I think that when we arrive in heaven, our minds are going to be blown.

As Christians, we have things that we ought to be doing, and we’re supposed to be continually pointing people towards God. That is our responsibility while we’re here on earth. We are woefully imperfect at doing that, but we try our best. Our time on earth is therefore important, and we cannot dismiss it as insignificant, but we do not want to become too wrapped up in perhaps the difficult things that come our way. We have a greater hope that is far beyond anything we might be facing. Our situation cannot touch or diminish the hope that we have. That is certainly good news.