Don’t Waste Hope on Today

You hear it all the time. Have hope! We tell those struggling to have hope in Christ. Hope is a good thing to have but hope in today is waste of time. As Christians we are supposed to have hope in tomorrow’s resurrection from the dead. We aren’t supposed to hope for a new job.

Hope is a funny thing. In everyday usage, hope is ‘invoked’ when things are beyond our control. We ‘hope’ the boss will promote us. We ‘hope’ we can find a good parking space. We even ‘hope’ we will win the lottery. We only ‘hope’ when we have nothing else to do. What is hope?

Brethren, if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.

1^st Corinthians 15.12-19

In today’s reading from Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we hear about proper hope as Christians. Hope in Christ isn’t about a job promotion or the lottery. Those are earthly challenges that God can help us with, but compared to the resurrection, they are shallow at best.

This is why Saint Paul goes so far as to say hope in this life in to be pitied. He isn’t saying that we shouldn’t ask God for help with our daily life. God loves us and wants us to flourish as holy men and women. Let’s face it. We rarely hope to flourish as holy men and women.

Hope in Christ means that we trust the promise God offers us even though we can’t see it or understand. Hope in Christ means we believe God when He says the He has defeated death. Hope in Christ means hearing the Word of God and letting it guide us today, for tomorrow.

Are you struggling in a relationship or marriage? Hope in Christ that you can endure the struggle now so your God-oriented marriage will be blessed by God later. Are you suffering from severe illness? Hope in Christ that your suffering will teach you patience and grace.

We can’t avoid struggling. We can’t avoid illness or even death. Hoping these ‘go away’ is a waste of time. Hoping in Christ that these realities will bring us closer to God is worthy hope that is blessed by God.

Today we are invited by Saint Paul to consider what we hope for in our lives. If we hope for things in this life today, we are wasting our time. Today is your chance to turn the page on your struggling and hope in Christ that you will grow closer to Christ in your struggle.

Hope in Christ that He will help you understand that pain you feel and the loss you experience. This is Christian hope. This is holy hope. This is hope that is blessed by God. Don’t waste hope on today.