Bad News, Good News, and Hope

I recently read an article in which an author admitted never reading reviews about her books. Her reason? One negative review could send her into a downward spiral, cause her to question her calling as a writer, and make her feel as though she had nothing of value to say. She may have received a dozen positive reviews, but in her mind, one critical comment outweighed them all.

Our human bent wants to pull us toward the bad news and keep us stuck there, in the place where shame and guilt and fear reign. Even the disciples found this to be true.

Check out Matthew 17:22-23.

“After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.’ And the disciples were filled with grief.”

Jesus wanted to prepare the twelve for the days ahead so He gave them the full scoop in abbreviated form. The bad news was that He would die. The good news was that He would rise from the dead three days later

It seems the disciples camped on the bad news. They felt more than a little sad; they were filled with grief even though their beloved Jesus said He would do the impossible and rise from the dead.

I so “get” the disciples’ thinking process.

For instance, I hear about rising pandemic numbers, concerns about variants, and frustrations with vaccine rollouts. The bad news is that no one really knows what the future holds. My thoughts could camp there and throw me into despair. But…there’s good news, and it changes everything.

The good news is that our present suffering is nothing compared to the glory God will reveal to us someday. (Romans 8:17-18) That truth alone should be enough to help us readjust our focus. But wait—there’s more!

Scripture says

“…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)

Bad news needn’t suck us into a dark place of despair.

Reality is—life is really hard sometimes. But the truth remains—suffering is temporary. Let’s neither  run from it nor resist it because it serves a purpose—it refines us and strengthens our faith. But in the midst of it and the pain it brings, let’s choose to camp on the good news.

As sure as Jesus rose from the dead, we can rest assured that eternity’s coming, and it’s bringing glory and joy beyond anything we can imagine. No matter what bad news the day might bring, our hope remains sure because it’s based on truth that remains steadfast.