Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2

Christianity is all about hope. It is a faith that looks forward to the future, to the time when God’s promises will be fulfilled. That was true for God’s people prior to Jesus’ birth, as they looked forward to the coming of the promised Messiah. It’s true of us today as we look forward to the return of Jesus. Our faith is a future-focused faith…it’s all about hope.

That doesn’t mean Christianity has no relevance to the here and now. Paradoxically, our focus on “things above” allows us to live this life here-and-now to the fullest. It enables us to be servants in a world that is in desperate need. It gives us the perspective and the pace of God as we live in and among the multitudes of needs – around us and in distant places.

I’m tempted to end this meditation right there. Because hope is the bottom line. And I would stop right here except for one thing: Hope is not automatic. In fact, sometimes hope is very difficult.

Sometimes our circumstances seem anything but hopeful; sometimes things can seem totally hopeless. We’ve all faced situations where there seems to be little objective reason for hope—in our jobs, in our churches, in our homes… Some of us are facing seemingly hopeless medical or financial problems. Sometimes it’s so tempting to give up hope. To keep from throwing in the towel is emotionally painful.

So how do we stay hopeful in the midst of disappointment and difficulty? How do we keep from being completely overwhelmed by trials and pain? How do we maintain an attitude of hope when everything in us wants to yield to despair?

Today’s verse has the key: Setting our hearts and minds on the things above. Fixing the focus of our eyes on Jesus. When the waves of our circumstances threaten to sweep us away, He promises that He’ll be with us and we won’t be swept away (Is 43:2,3).

“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” (Ps 33:16-22)