Life is hard. We have struggles. There is hardship. We experience grief and stress. We live in a fallen world and it’s evident every single day.
And yet there’s a remarkable difference in the attitude of people who go through these times with Jesus as opposed to without. You can think of persecuted Christians around the world who remain strong, even to the end.
I was thinking yesterday about my boyfriend and how the hope of Jesus shines in his life. He has been going through some tough times this year with his children. He loves his kids so much. But there is tremendous hardship there for him. So much that other parents I know who learn of his situation often say, “oh man, I don’t think I could cope with that at all.”
But my boyfriend does and he does it with faith. It isn’t that he doesn’t feel the pain, but in the pain he feels hope. He feels belief that things will work out. He gets peace and comfort from the Lord that is not found anywhere else.
Even in his worst times (and he has described this as one of the hardest things he’s had to cope with), there is joy for him. There is peace. There is evidence of something bigger working in his life.
There is life with purpose that rises above stress and anxiety. There are tears at times, but then there is hope. He knows that he walks this earth both loved and heard by his Creator. That even though he doesn’t know what the outcome will be he trusts that it will work out.
It’s a hard thing to watch, of course…the human struggle with heartache. But it’s beautiful and inspirational to see someone not just say words about their faith but that it makes a tangible, observable impact in their life.
We all struggle. Life is full of anxiety and uncertainty and sadness. But with Jesus we can walk it with hope and peace that comes from knowing Jesus has already overcome this world.
Anna Farley 