Happy Ending

The sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed. 

Who doesn’t like a happy ending?   Everyone cheers when the prince rescues the princess or when the bad guy is defeated.

Though he has suffered many hardships as a missionary, Paul writes about joy.    The joy of being redeemed, the joy of receiving the Holy Spirit, the joy of knowing God’s love, and so much more.   But the greatest joy Paul talks about is the fact that on the other side of whatever trials he has faced or what he will face in the future, heaven awaits him.   His current circumstances—both the good and the bad—are “nothing compared to the glory to be revealed” .

God has eternal life on the other side of our trials as well.   While we will experience challenges in this life, they all work together to produce for us “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison”.

While we experience sorrow now, our every tear will be wiped away in heaven, and we will never grieve again.

While we endure aches and pains now, we will one day dwell with God forever in whole, glorified bodies.

While we struggle to forgive and overcome division in our relationships now, the day is coming when nothing will keep us from perfect unity, both with God and with one another.   All our divisions will be healed!   But as we wait for that glorious day, we can continue pray and work for unity and reconciliation.

A few months ago we celebrated the five-hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.   Christians of all different backgrounds came together  to pray for unity and reconciliation between the churches.   They came to proclaim their trust that the suffering caused by our divisions will ultimately give way to glory when all God’s people are finally gathered around one altar celebrating our redemption together.

What a happy ending!   Not just for us, but for all our brothers and sisters in Christ.   So let the glory of the Lord, which will one day be yours in full, give you hope for your life as well as the life of the whole Church.   God has glorious things planned for us!

word among us