As a pastor, you face unique pressures that can weigh heavy on your heart. 

Whether you’re facing discouragement from church challenges or uncertainty about the future, it can often feel like it’s too much to bear. 

But don’t give up.

Even when our discouragement threatens to overtake us, Jesus offers hope that is real and eternal. His hope will never disappoint. But you need the right perspective to understand the hope found in Jesus.

That means you don’t just look at what’s going on right now. Instead of focusing on the temporary, focus on the eternal. 

For instance, pay more attention to God’s Word than what happened in your last deacon’s meeting or what’s sitting in your email inbox.

Difficulties don’t last. But hope in God lasts forever. The Bible says, “These three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NCV).

Never forget that your circumstances—no matter how difficult—are temporary. No problem comes to stay in your life. It will pass. Even if it is a lifelong, chronic problem, you won’t take it into eternity.

Paul reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 4:18: “Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” (CEV).

Your problems won’t last forever. 

But there are things in God’s universe that you can’t see that will last forever. Faith, hope, and love will last forever. And, as a follower of Jesus, you will be with God forever in eternity.

Put your hope in Jesus. 

The Message paraphrase says, “Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective” (Colossians 3:2).

Your hope in Christ will become a hope fulfilled.

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