Things are going to get weirder in 2025. I can promise you that.
Honestly, it’s already weird.
That’s why what the Apostle Peter wrote in his first letter is so important:
“Be ready to have an answer for the hope that you have in you.” (I Peter 3:15)
This is the kind of person I want to be. Like a hope dispenser locked and loaded. When I was growing up I was taught that this scripture meant we were supposed to be able to argue the apologetics of the Gospel. In other words I needed to be ready to debate and argue. Thankfully, that was my specialty!
Later, though, I learned rarely are people drawn to Jesus by a dump truck of bullet points or pithy clap backs. Hope, however when things look hopeless, will stand out and is quite compelling.
The Apostle Peter was writing to people in a strange, difficult time—most likely under the rule of Nero, one of the most brutal persecutors of Christians in history. The entire letter speaks to suffering, trials, and hardship.
Peter was telling believers in Jesus that their lives, attitudes, and responses should be so vastly different that people are like: What is going on with you? And THAT is when you should have an answer.
I want to be the person with that kind of weird, wild hope. And hope isn’t pretending everything is fine. It’s not ignorance or denial. It’s looking at the chaos and saying, Yes, I see it. But I also see beyond it. Hope is rooted in something bigger than the headlines, something deeper than whatever happens in front of me.
In a world of exhausted people filled with anger and anxiety how about we stand out as people who are filled with hope. Buoyant, exuberant hope in a Savior that has yet to fail us. May this hope be evident in:
Our work.
Our words.
Our relationships.
Our social media interactions.
And when people ask us – Why are you so calm? Don’t you know what’s happening?
We can joyfully proclaim: We see what’s happening. We’re not blind. But we know more. We know how this story ends. Let’s grab coffee and talk about it!
Sherri Lynn
Evening Show Host, STAR 101.5
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