There must be more

1 Corinthians 10:13 reads No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. In life, we will meet temptation, but Paul assures us that God will give us a way to endure. However, that way of enduring may be him redeeming our life in the life that is to come.

In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the King orders the three to bow down and worship the false gods, else he will cast them into the fiery furnace. The three respond, "If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” Their response is much more than just saying God can save them. They say even if God does not save them, they will still refuse to sin and worship false gods. They were willing to die than to reject God and worship another god. This can only be done if we have an eternal perspective.

This eternal perspective is the knowing that our hope isn't in this life. It is found in the life that is to come.

Jesus tells us to not fear death in this life, but death in the life to come. In Luke 12:4-5, he says "My friends, listen to me. Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t do any more than that. I will show you whom you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after you have been killed. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him." 

Peter reminds us of this hope in the life to come. He opens his first letter with Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Our focus when in times of struggle, hardship, or temptation must be eternal. We must focus on the redemption promised in the life to come, not the hardships promised in this life.

I've recently listened to Joel Osteen on XMRadio. His sermons have a common theme. You are struggling in life. This struggle is related to not trusting God. Turn over your desire to God, then he will grant you the promotion you desire. The result of trusting God is redemption in this life. This message doesn't translate well when we are proclaiming the Gospel.

We are proclaiming the Gospel of a man who was nailed to the cross. We are proclaiming the Gospel along side the martyrs who gave up everything to spread the Word and to die at the hands of those who oppose God. This Gospel isn't a gospel of material success in this world, but a gospel that opens the cell of the person on death row, frees the captive, heals the one who is suffering from a incurable disease. It does this, because it proclaims that we can be reconciled to God our creator and he will dwell with us forever, in the life that is to come.

We can endure all hardships, temptations, and struggles in this life because there is a life to come.

But our focus is not on eternity only when times are bad. When the 70 disciples return to Jesus after he sent them out in the surrounding area, they were joyful because they could cast out demons and heal the sick. Jesus told them "See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Even in the best of times, our hope to endure remains in the life that is to come.

There must be more for us to endure hardships that may cost us our lives. Good news, there is.