Unshakable: Living Faithfully Through the Tough Seasons of LifeSample

Unshakable // Hope In Action

Often the toughest seasons of life are those where we find ourselves walking through grief and loss. It could be the loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, or even an opportunity. It’s not easy to lose anything important in our world - especially if we didn’t see it coming. Grief can be a powerful storm that shakes our life to its core. Loss can make us question everything we believe. On the one hand, we know that our Father is loving and kind and able to do all things, but then when our world falls apart, it can be really hard to understand how God could let it happen. Why didn’t He do something and prevent it from getting to this?

The early Christians wrestled with this same challenge, especially when a loved one died. They expected that Jesus would return to earth pretty soon, so it was hard for them to reconcile what they believed with their experience of losing people. That’s why Paul takes the time to make sure the Christians in Thessalonica have strong and unshakable hope.

He reminds them that our hope is built on the resurrection of Jesus. That one moment in history changed everything. On that day, when the stunned disciples saw Jesus alive, they stepped into a new hope. Once they’d gotten their heads around it, they realized that death no longer has the final word. That’s why Paul describes the believers who have passed away as merely sleeping - waiting to be woken up again by the return of Jesus. This life is not all there is - that’s our hope.

The reality is that we all experience the pain of grief and loss at some point in time, but we don’t grieve like those who have no hope. Even though it’s hard, we don’t surrender to despair because we know that the story isn’t finished. Even when it hurts, we don’t keep trying to numb the pain because we’re thankful for the gift of what we had and are hopeful about what will be - in this life and the next. Even though we feel powerless, we don’t become bitter or angry because we know that God is still in control. That is our hope - that even in the darkest hour, in the valley of the shadow of death, we’re not alone. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in the middle of our suffering.

So unlike the world, our goal is not to somehow avoid all suffering and pain. We can cope with disappointment and unmet expectations. We don’t need to get drunk or find a new distraction because we’ve been given hope to sustain ourselves. That’s why Paul describes hope as a helmet. You wouldn’t go into a warzone without your body armor and helmet - and we shouldn’t face the storms of this life without activating our faith, love, and hope. As we’ve seen, putting on faith is all about living for the Kingdom, not being seduced by the treasures of this world. Putting on love is about making sure we create space for relationships that serve and encourage others. Putting faith and love into action actually protects us; they keep us healthy.

Putting on hope is just as important, but it’s a little bit different. It’s more about cultivating a heart space that is captivated by Jesus - lifting our eyes from our circumstances and simply looking at him. He walked through suffering with perfect humility and trust, and his presence fills us with joy and peace. His joy gives us the strength to endure hard things. His peace helps us move forward even when life is disorientating. Jesus was familiar with pain and suffering and understands whatever you’re going through. When we can’t do anything else, hope simply chooses to bring our grief and loss to God, to meet with Jesus in the middle of our pain. Even if all you can do is stare at his feet, that’s enough. Keep looking at him because he is the source of our hope, and his presence will be your protection.

1. Holy Spirit, what is your advice for what I can do to "put on" hope?
2. What has God given me for others, to encourage them and build them up in hope?