“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
I need more than positive thinking to survive in this world. I need hope.
In 1 Peter 1, the Bible offers five reasons I can have hope through Jesus Christ:
God chose me before I chose him.
God always treats me with grace and mercy.
God has secured my future.
God’s power will protect me.
I can have hope because God is preparing me for eternity.
God is using everything in my life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to get me ready for eternity. Once I understand this, life begins to make sense. I stop saying, “Lord, why is this happening?” because I know why: He’s preparing me for eternity.
The Bible says, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT).
Those verses describe six truths about problems:
Problems are temporary. They won’t last forever.
Problems are necessary. They are an indispensable part of preparing me for heaven.
Problems are varied. I’ll experience trials of all different shapes, sizes, and levels of intensity.
Problems test my faith. I build muscles by testing them. In the same way, when my faith is tested, my faith grows stronger.
Problems purify my motives. God is much more interested in my character than in my comfort. He’ll use trials to refine my character.
Problems prepare me for my rewards. The trials I'm going through now don’t compare to the rewards of heaven.
The troubles I'm experiencing now aren’t fun. They may even be painful. But the Bible makes it clear that they’ll make my faith stronger. Then, my faith will produce perseverance.
That’s why I can have hope, no matter what’s going on in my life right now.
In summary:
True hope goes far beyond positive thinking and is found in knowing that God is using every part of my life to prepare me for eternity. First Peter reminds me that trials are temporary but purposeful—they test and strengthen my faith, refine my character, and prepare me for eternal rewards. God chose me, treats me with grace, secures my future, protects me by His power, and is shaping me through both joy and hardship. Though suffering is painful and varied, it is never wasted; like fire refining gold, trials prove my faith is genuine and will ultimately bring glory to God. Because I understand this, I can endure the present difficulties with confidence and hope, knowing that joy and eternity are ahead.
Bottom Line:
No trial is wasted—God uses every difficulty to strengthen my faith, shape my character, and prepare me for eternal joy, which is why I can live with hope even in hardship.
Next step:
Intentionally share my hope story. This week, take one current or past challenge that stretched my faith and clearly articulate how God used it to shape me, not just how He resolved it. Share it—through a short LinkedIn post, a brief devotional, a coaching conversation, or within my leadership circle—focusing on the lesson, not the outcome.
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