“This is such a scary time to be alive.” “I never thought I’d see society degenerate to this degree.” “I can’t imagine raising kids in this day and age.” “An honest person can’t get a fair shake anymore.” “What happened to liberty and justice for all?” “War, poverty, disease…the future’s not looking too bright.”

Pessimism seems chronic in our culture today. Just the sound bites on our news feed can send us into a dull anxiety for the rest of our day. But we as Christians should know better, and should be the very ones holding out hope. And that hope begins by placing our fear in the right place. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread” (Is. 8:12-13)

Another piece of our response comes from realizing God long ago promised these things would happen. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed.…For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places….And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increase, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:6-12). “…There will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:1-5). None of this is unexpected. None of it is ultimately “out of control.”

But lastly, we alone have reason to trust that all things will be made new, that these troubles are but birth pangs before the delivery of a renewed heavens and earth – one where justice reigns, and where human flourishing is finally attained (Matt. 24:8, Rom. 8:18-25, Rev. 21). Jesus won, and He always keeps His promises! Let’s live like it in how we emotionally and verbally process the world around us today.