Our only hope in this world is knowing we belong to God. If we were on our own, the weight and struggles of this life would crush us. The pressure would annihilate us. But thanks be to God, we are not alone. We are not our own. The life we live, we live because of Jesus and for Jesus.
Paul reminds us in Romans 14:7-8 that whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Our purpose for living is to do the work of our Lord. And when we die, we die for Him, having run the race and doing all He has given us to do (2 Timothy 4:7-8). This is our hope: we belong to the Lord.
When you are feeling down, remember this. We do not live for ourselves. We belong to the Lord and we live to serve Him. He is our portion (Psalm 73:25-26). Nothing this world has to offer means anything. It’s all garbage. The peddlers of luxuries in this world do not understand everything they offer will disappear. It will all rot and waste away. Only the love of Jesus will remain. Only what He offers is eternal.
I know it’s easy to get discouraged in this life. Every day seems to bring new disappointments, new fears, and new hurts. But we belong to the Lord. This world is not our own and we aren’t beholden to its system of judgment and ranking. We are children of the King, heirs to His Kingdom, and loved by the Lord of the Universe. He knows you and sees you. What could matter more than that?
Because we belong to the Lord, everything we do in life should be done to bring honor and glory to Him. This life has never been and will never be about us. It’s always about Him. Only Jesus is worthy of our worship. Only He is worthy of our life. That is why Paul says to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21). No other person or thing is worth it. Only Jesus.
Our only hope in life and death is Jesus. Life is meaningless without Him, death something to be feared if not for His promise of eternal life. We have nowhere to turn but Jesus, for He holds the keys to everlasting life (John 6:68-69). If we aren’t living for Him, we are wasting our lives in vain and worthless pursuits. We will die in our sin and spend eternity in a horrific and painful separation from God. There is no hope except for Jesus.
Rejecting Christ relegates us to a life without hope, a life spent in futile pursuit of nothing. Without Jesus, we are lost and destined to live in fear. Without the Lord, we have no anchor to hold us fast through the many storms and trials of life. The results of lives being lived without Jesus are all around us: hatred, selfishness, depression, confusion, and suicide. There is no hope except in Jesus. Why He chooses us will always be a mystery, but I am confident in the fact we belong to the Lord. That gives me all the hope I need.