“But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear in them, nor be troubled but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as Holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” 1 Peter 3:14-15,18.
What hope do I have in Christ?
What hope do we have in Christ?
What hope do we have when doctors’ appointments persist?
What hope do we have when conflict doesn’t get resolved and leaves us more broken than we thought possible?
What hope do we have in negative bank accounts?
What hope do we have in rebellious children?
What hope do we have when our fridge is empty and so are our family’s bellies? What hope do we have when our years have been spent crying tears of sorrow and anger rather than laughing and finding joy?
What hope do we have when sin is so deeply rooted in every person and piece of creation that was intended for good?
Almost a year ago, I was sat down and told I had a benign tumor on my pituitary gland. After three months of treatment, it seemed to be gone! Until February 2024 when my symptoms got worse – we discovered it had come back and was a little bigger. While it is benign, there are some serious implications such as infertility, permanently becoming blind, and memory loss. There are also some serious next steps (long-term medication or brain surgery). As a 26-year-old with a long road ahead of me, how do I hold on to hope when my health seems threatened from all sides? The temptation to throw away hope and lean into bitterness is high. How do I have hope when I feel thrown into the fire instead of shielded from it?
Jesus – He is the reason for the hope we have in us. He is our peace without bounds. He is a provider and protector. He works outright and behind the scenes joyfully and justly.
Jesus is my hope because He, Himself, found hope when He was faced with ultimate death. He took it on with humility and boldness. He faced the nails, the thorns, and the cup – pleading that they would pass over Him – and yet He drank from that cup willingly and with delight.
My hope rests in the fact that Christ not only knows my sufferings intimately, He knows my misdeeds (more than I’d care to admit) – yet He still drank from the cup. He knew that I would prefer not to suffer for righteousness sake, that I would fear and be troubled by this world, and that I would not treat His children with gentleness and respect. Yet Christ would still suffer on my behalf.
What hope do I have in Christ? My hope is in the choice He made to face the cross and the cup of my sins – however, He drank the cup knowing my sins would not defeat Him. His power was made perfect in my weakness and He walked out of that tomb as our redeemer, just and justifier, forgiver, the perfect gift of grace, and Messiah. Our hope rests in that we can put down our “to-do list for righteousness/hope/joy/forgiveness/etc,” because there is literally nothing we can do to earn those things – they are freely given to us by the Father who is eager to be generous; they were bought by the Son who wanted his brothers and sisters in eternity; and they are sanctified within us by the Holy Spirit excited to see us become more like Them.
Well, that’s great and I know that in my head, but how do I actively have hope when the bad news keeps getting worse? How do I actively have hope with a brain tumor?
As I write this, lyrics from a familiar worship song keep repeating over and over in my head,
“What gift of grace is Jesus, my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace!
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh how strange and divine, I can sing, “All is mine”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me”
Our hope is bound to Jesus. We cannot attain or keep hope alive on our own. We need
Christ’s help and hand to cling to. When our circumstances bring us despair, cling to Christ through His good word, through prayer, and through trusted Christ-centered fellowship. Do not let this temporary world steal the eternal hope we have. My tumor will not follow me into eternity nor will any of the other afflictions of this life.
Brothers and sisters, let the Father bless you with hope, let Christ’s work and victory be enough to fuel your hope, and let the Holy Spirit sustain you with it.
Lilly White
Lilly grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota and comes from a large family - she is the oldest of 11 siblings! She started a relationship with the Lord at a fall retreat when she was 13 years old and a few years later, God started to call her into ministry. Lilly attended Crown College and graduated with a degree in Youth and Family ministry in 2021. She and her husband, LouEric met working at a summer camp and have been married since 2019. She enjoys thrift shopping, anything coffee related, and belting out worship music in the car. She loves the Lord with her everything and is excited to see Him work in her life and the lives of those around her.