Miserable Christians

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Every joy that a Christian has is based on a future expectation. If we did not have that future hope, then the Christian life would be one of toil and suffering unmitigated. It is really the case that, in general, the life of any given Christian is a difficult, burdensome matter (I'm not going to try to prove this, but I have thought through it and concluded it's truth); and yet, while some live in that gloom, many accept the incomprehensible peace of God, the abounding joy of the Lord, and faithful patience in affliction which God has offered to each of His children. But each of these is based on the fact that "It will all be made right in the end." But if the end is simply an end, then there is no real reason to live in expectation or joy. Then, no compensation is made for the anguish and toil of a life. But this is not the case, for every believer should have a conscious hope within him. Hope in the reality of the future graces of God for all eternity.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

The only reason that it is worth enduring suffering is that we have an eternal hope. Remember that even our Lord suffered with this mind: for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. So, let's view every testing through this lens; otherwise, we have "miserable" reasons for enduring.

(I Corinthians 15:19-20)