The Hope That Anchors
“If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless. And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” — 1 Corinthians 15:17,19 (NLT)
Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom spent months in the Ravensbrück concentration camp during World War II. Despite unimaginable suffering, Corrie clung to her faith in Christ. She wrote, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” Her hope was not rooted in circumstances, but in Christ’s promise of eternal life—even when everything around her said otherwise.[1]
Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:19 are striking: If Christ has not been raised from the dead, then Christians are to be pitied. That’s a bold statement. Paul is reminding believers that the Christian life isn’t just about moral living or temporal blessings. It is centered on the reality of eternity. If resurrection isn’t real, then the sacrifices believers make—the suffering endured for the sake of Christ—are meaningless. But because Jesus rose from the dead, everything changes.
Our hope as Christians is not confined to the boundaries of this earthly life. That means we can endure trials with perseverance, sacrifice with joy, and even face death with peace. The resurrection guarantees that what is currently wrong will be made right, what is broken will be restored, and what is mortal will be given eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:53–54).
This kind of hope acts like an anchor. It stabilizes us in the storms of life. It gives us a bigger picture—one that lifts our eyes beyond our struggles. Hope in Christ is not wishful thinking; it is confident expectation built on His resurrection. It doesn’t eliminate pain, but it gives purpose in the pain, knowing that one day, even when we leave this world, all things will be made new (Revelation 21:5).
Practical Application:
Refuse to let your present pain distort your eternal perspective. Write down one trial you’re facing today, and then write a truth from Scripture, perhaps from below, that gives you hope beyond it. Let God’s Word anchor your soul.
Reflection:
What would change in your mindset if you truly believed your current suffering was temporary and outweighed by eternal glory?
Prayer:
God of hope, anchor my soul in the truth of the resurrection. Please help me to live with an eternal mindset and to trust that what I suffer now will one day be redeemed. Thank You for the promise of life beyond this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read More: Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 4:16–18; Revelation 21:1–5; 1 Peter 1:3–5
[1] Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord (Bantam Books, 1976), 83.
