Why Hope Matters
In one of the most captivating passages in the New Testament, John writes, "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are! … Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is." (1Jn.3:1-2).
this brings to mind all the images of Scripture that present us with the incredibly wonderful end of all things, when evil is gone and all is well with the universe! Just reading the last two chapters of Revelation can be enough to make your whole day! What an amazing life awaits us in the future!
Whenever I get a glimpse of how fabulous this will be, my heart is stirred — I long for that day when there will be no more violations, no more lies, no more destruction of lives and dreams, and all will be good. I can hardly wait. And even better, John insists that it's not just the planet that will be transformed — I will be changed as well. "We will be like him!" I won't keep worrying; I won't have unhealed issues that keep triggering me; I will stop getting angry about things that get in my way; I will love as I ought to love; I will feel free to give myself to what is good; I will become the person God created me to be!
And yet there is still more! According to John, we do not have to wait to begin this journey. "Everyone who has this hope — to become like Jesus — everyone who has this hope is already actively engaged in the process of becoming more like Him" (3:3). That longing we have for the restoration of all things has to include us. Yes, we long to see the world changed. But our longing is also for us to be changed as well, so we can become part of all that is made new. Having this hope is what draws me into wanting to be more like Him today. He can begin that process in me now, so I can lay aside more of that which is corrupted and twisted in me, and lay hold of more and more of who He is and how He can live in me.
Our hope matters!