“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.” — 1 Peter 1:6
The message Pastor Bill gave from our First Peter Series, Hope in Suffering, was a very timely reminder. A reminder that we will experience hardships in this life. But, as Peter challenged us, we need to look to the wonderful joy we have waiting ahead for us in heaven.
Bill used the analogy of planning a trip to Disneyland being like looking forward to heaven. Knowing where you’re headed will change your perspective on the journey. For instance, as you head to Disneyland, you may spill your coffee in the car, have to eat gas station food along the way, get pulled over for speeding or have a tire go flat. However, it doesn’t matter, because soon you’ll be eating corn dogs and beignets while enjoying the sites of New Orleans Square in Disneyland!
Disneyland truly is one of the happiest places on earth for me and my family. Going there has been a continual conversation in our home. “We can’t wait for COVID to be over so we can go to Disneyland.” We’ve talked about it as a family and have a rough game plan of when we might be able to go, where we’d stay, what we’d do and all the things we love about being there. It’s a joy we look forward to! It has been a rough year for my family and me. Not only because of COVID, but also because of the loss of our sweet dog, Ivy, and dealing with family issues. We’ve gotten pretty excited about the idea of going to Disneyland.
Keep your eyes on the prize.
As Christians, the joy we have to look forward to in heaven far surpasses anything this world has to offer. We will experience hardships in many different ways while on this earth — health, finances, jobs, relationships, etc. Even as those things happen, we need to keep our eyes on the prize — we’ll get to see Jesus face-to-face in heaven. What a glorious day that will be!
We can enjoy the journey and hardships along the way or we can let them destroy us. Jesus has placed us here for a purpose. Let Him use the hardships in your life and you can rejoice in the wonderful joy ahead.
Make sure to listen to the message entitled, Hope in Suffering, from our First Peter: Realistic Hope series.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor