Sometimes we need to step back and look at the bigger picture.
Maybe you’re sitting through a game or recital that isn’t really your thing. You remind yourself, “I’m not here for me. I’m here for my child.” Or perhaps you’re exhausted by the messes of raising young children. You tell yourself, “Kids grow up fast. Enjoy this stage while it’s happening.” Sometimes a change in perspective changes how we experience the moment.
God’s Word gives us an even greater perspective. It helps us see our lives in the context of God’s story—His plan to redeem and restore all things through Jesus.
Romans 8 puts our suffering in perspective: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Our suffering is real, but it does not have the final word. The glory God promises is so much greater that Paul says they aren’t even worth comparing. It’s like comparing a flashlight to the sun or a puddle to the Pacific Ocean.
Romans 8 also puts our broken world in perspective. “The whole creation has been groaning together” (Romans 8:22). We all know that feeling: It shouldn’t be this way. The brokenness we see around us points us toward something better. God’s salvation is not simply about rescuing us from this world; through Christ, He will make all things new.
Finally, God’s Word puts our blessings in perspective. We can become so comfortable with what we have that we forget we need God. But “hope that is seen is not hope” (Romans 8:24). God gives us something better than temporary comfort: the sure hope of eternal life with Jesus.
Perhaps you’re really in need of hope right now. As Christians, our hope is grounded in our Savior Jesus. It’s not wishful thinking. It’s not just the ability to persuade ourselves that things will be better in the future.
Our hope is a stubborn refusal to let go of God and His promises. Our hope is the sure confidence that God is faithful, and He will remain faithful to us no matter what.
Our hope gives us perspective to walk through this life, not drifting backward, not frozen in the present, but looking forward to what God has promised.
