Hope in a Broken World
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer [Rom 12:12]
On the 1st of October one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history took place as a gunman opened fire at a music concert in Las Vegas. Close to fifty people were killed and more than five hundred injured. Such random acts of violence make seeing the good in the world increasingly difficult, and when we are constantly confronted by all that heartache, loss and tragedy, it’s hard to have hope. It’s hard to believe that in spite of all the madness and chaos, there is hope for the world. How can we continue to have hope in a broken world?
Notice kindness in others – Look around and observe the acts of kindness you see – the favors being done, the love extended, the smiles being shared. It will help you to feel hopeful when you see little glimpses of light that persist in spite of the darkness.
Be grateful for this life – Tragedies like the one that took place over the last weekend remind us of life’s uncertainty. But the unpredictability of life should not cause fear and insecurity. Instead, it should inspire us to be thankful for every day, every moment that we’re alive.
Be enthusiastic about life – The more you love about life, the more hope you’ll have. If you enjoy what you do and who you’re around, and spend time doing what you love with people you love, it will be much easier to hold on to hope when faced with tragedy.
Rejoice in our certain hope of Christ’s return – Despite the bad news all around us, we have good news to share with the world. We live in a broken world – a world of mass shootings, war, heartbreak and pain. But this is not how things are supposed to be. We have a wonderful hope – king Jesus is coming back, and he is going to fix everything – to restore all of creation to its original glory.
So even in the midst of the terrible uncertainties of our present world, Christ-followers find every reason to rejoice in hope, confident of a future that is incredibly bright!
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