Sometimes I’m afraid for the next generation. As the world grows more and more antagonistic of God and tolerant of sin, what would it be like in the near future?
What would it be like in a world that has been accustomed to darkness?
I wish we could all live in a world that is pure and untainted by sin. A world where children can grow up in loving families. A world that believes in God and practices what it believes in.
Perhaps then there would be no crime or violence to fear. Perhaps we’d have lesser heartaches and deeper joys. And perhaps we’d all choose what’s right rather than what’s wrong.
But would we?
I suddenly remember our first parents in the garden of Eden. During that time, there was no sin yet. There was no profanity or violence or any impure examples that could influence their thoughts. In that garden, they had everything they needed. But why did they choose the wrong path?
Thinking about it deeper, maybe that place wasn’t so perfect after all. For though the evil we see today wasn’t there, temptation was never far from their side. A serpent tempted them and they were swayed to do what was not right.
Perhaps what we need is not only the absence of any evil influence around us. Perhaps what we need is a steadfast spirit that can withstand the temptations that come our way.
It isn’t enough to be ignorant of evil. We must be well aware of its consequences. We must know what we’re losing whenever we choose darkness over light.
In that perfect day when God establishes a new heaven and a new earth, we’d realize how a perfect world can truly exist.
For now, we must pray for the kind of faith that endures all our trials, the kind of hope that can save us over despair, and the kind of love that would triumph over every evil.
“Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another… fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer…” — Romans 12:9–12, WEBBE
The thing about hope is that it’s a positive force that shines the most when it’s dark. When everything’s going well, we hardly notice it’s there. But when things go against us, when our dreams fade and when we see no immediate reprieve from our troubles, that’s when hope does its best work for us.
"Where Hope Can Be Found"