Hope Is Contagious预览

HOPE IN THE HEREAFTER

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

For many, death is where hope dies. The hope of a loved one being healed. The hope of watching children graduate. The hope of walking a daughter down the aisle. With death, all aspirations and dreams seem to get buried in the casket. However, this is not the case for believers. As Christians, we have a hope that extends beyond the grave.

That is the idea that Paul is discussing with the Church of Thessalonica. They are concerned about their wives, children, and fellow Christians who have died in the faith. He tells them they will feel sorrow, but our sorrow is seasoned with hope. And what is that hope you might ask? It rests in the fact that if we believe that Jesus Christ has died for our sins and risen from the dead, he will also raise those that believed in Him. So, have you felt the blow of losing a close family member? Do you sometimes feel that all hope is lost? Although you will suffer, I encourage you not to lose hope. Our hope doesn’t stop here, we have hope in the hereafter. Even in death, let’s keep hope alive.

Think about the last blow you experienced. Can you imagine making it through without your hope? I challenge you to write out the 5 ways your hope helped you make it through and keep that close as a daily reminder.