Enduring Hope for the DisillusionedSample

Bad news will continue. But dire headlines are not the whole story.

Around the world, followers of Christ continue to run toward suffering, regardless of the cost. They continue to live and share the hope of the gospel—the Good News—reminding us that God is showing up, bringing restoration and healing to our world.

We need more who courageously respond to those in need and who are sustained by enduring hope in God. Though painful, our difficult circumstances and limitations point us toward the real Source of sustaining hopefulness.

As we step into the significant work of loving others, our only path forward is one empowered by the Spirit, rooted in Christ, and aligned with the rhythms of grace.

God promises to use all things—including moments of great success and moments of gut-wrenching pain—for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). When we disengage or give in to cynicism, we might protect ourselves from potential pain, but we also guarantee that we will miss beautiful glimpses of God at work, restoring all of creation. Instead of disengaging, let’s turn upward, knowing God is with us even in the dark valleys.

We hope Christ’s followers will continue to run toward the suffering and hurting—but run first toward Christ, drawing from Him the strength to journey for decades, not just days. We long to be people who live fearlessly and love boldly because we have experienced God with us. To press into the costly work of loving like Jesus precisely because we are loved by Jesus.

God’s invitation to Judah in the book of Jeremiah is the same invitation to us today: “Return to Me.” It’s an invitation to walk away from the leaky cisterns of human strength and return to the Living Water. To let our service flow not from our abilities and resolve but from our rootedness in the Source of sustaining love.

May we allow God’s love to fill us with an enduring hope that spills over in sacrificial service. God alone can rescue the cynic and redirect the disillusioned.

In your journey, may you discover that “hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5).

Turn upward and you will discover that there is always Hope.

Adapted from Peter Greer and Chris Horst's book The Gift of Disillusionment, published by Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group (2022).