“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).
Lou Holtz was a famous football coach. Someone once asked him about the best moment of his amazing career. What was it? He said, “Gosh, I hope I haven’t had it yet.”*
What a great perspective.
When I was in high school, I remember being at work one day when a lady asked me what grade I was in. “Grade eleven,” I replied. “Enjoy these days,” she said, “they’re the best days of your life.”
I thought to myself, ‘Really? How depressing! Hopefully life has more in store than exams, awkward dates and acne!’
I get where she was coming from. High school can be fun. Plus, as a teenager you don’t have a lot of responsibility yet so there is a certain carefree-ness to the whole experience.
However, when we always conclude that our best days are behind us, that immediately downgrades our thinking about the future.
Only God knows the future. But there is work to do for the kingdom. There are godly families to raise. There are communities to help. There are relationships to bless. There are opportunities to share the gospel. There is a world to influence with the light of Christ. Sometimes you are on the giving end of these gifts, and other times you get to be on the receiving end.
Some of you are dealing with difficulty, and some of you are dealing with that difficulty at the end of your life on earth. But even if that is you, if you are in Christ that means that you have the never-ending joy and peace of heaven to look forward to!
What Paul said to the Romans continues to be 100% true for you and me today: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Notes:
-*Told in: Ace Collins, GrATTITUDE (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 36.
-Bible quotes, ESV.
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