Look to the Future to Deal With Today

The world around us can be discouraging and depressing and will get worse. What should God’s people focus on to stay positive in a negative world?

It is easy to take a very dim view of the world around us.

We look around and see continual violence. Families are in disarray. Governments abuse their citizens. Deadly weather events have become the norm. Strange and incurable diseases are emerging. Terrorism encompasses the globe. Social problems like drug addiction, teen pregnancy, suicide, mental illness and divorce continually plague the people around us. The state of this world brings to mind the pessimistic words of Job: “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

We are not alone

But should God’s people be depressed because of the world around them?

Though we should “sigh and cry” for the problems of the world around us (Ezekiel 9:4), we should not be depressed. In fact, we have every reason to be positive!

We are not alone in this life. We have the greatest support anyone could have! Think about it: We worship and follow God the Father and Jesus Christ—the Creator of everything. The angels of God watch over us at all times (Hebrews 1:14). Angels have thousands of years of experience in protecting God’s people. But wait, there is more. We have a future that is so awesome that our finite minds cannot fully comprehend it.

A new body

Scriptures like 1 John 3:2 should fill us with hope: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

We will share the power and level of existence of God. Eventually, sin won’t even be an issue in our lives, because when we are composed of Spirit, we will not even be tempted to sin. Is there anything that could be more hopeful and positive in our lives?

Don’t focus on the present

This is how we can avoid becoming depressed and pessimistic by the world around us. We must set our minds on this future reality: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18, emphasis added).

God gives us this vision of our future so we can have hope and view this world in a proper perspective. Yes, the state of our world is indeed deplorable. The bad news is that it is going to get much worse (Matthew 24:21). The good news is that there is a great future for us and the entire world. Here is a poem to help us remember this:

Eternity

As the world sinks into insanity,
We must maintain a vision of eternity.
Focusing on the present may cause depression;
Beware, this could lead to spiritual regression.
The Bible gives a glimpse of glorious things to come;
Think on these things, and let His will be done.

Read the articles in the “Kingdom of God” section of Life Hope & Truth to learn more about the vision that should drive us today.

Leon Leonard is a member of the Cleveland, Ohio, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He is an entrepreneur and writer. Leon and his wife, Annette, celebrated 40 years of marriage in October 2013.