Anxiety and Aimlessness: How Future Hope Defeats Present Fear

We live in an increasingly anxious world. There are countless things to worry about every day.

• How will my kids turn out?

• Will I have enough money to make it to the end of the month?

• Will I make the team?

• Will my spouse be faithful?

The list is endless.

In the face of these fears, we have a choice: live in anxiety or walk in faith. Both anxiety and faith are future-oriented, they ask us to trust something we cannot yet see. The difference lies in your outlook: Is your view of the future one of doom or of divine hope?

We were created to be hope-shaped creatures, grounded in the truth that the best is yet to come. When we live with this eternal perspective, we gain peace about the future and presence in our everyday life.

Here are three ways to become a person of future hope:

1. Aim for a Glorious Future

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4 ESV

God has created you uniquely; with passions, skills, and longings that reflect His design. Your highest aim should be to know Jesus and make Him known. Many people feel lost in life because their aim is off. They’re trying to build their kingdom, not His.

You can glorify God in any role:

• A pilot who lands a plane

• A parent teaching their child to read

• A janitor cleaning tables for others

• A business owner providing jobs and building community

It’s not what you do, it’s who you do it for. Don’t overthink it. Ask: What has God gifted me for? What do I desire to do for His glory? Then go do it—with joy and purpose.

2. The Results Are God’s

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand…” – Ephesians 2:10 ESV

God has tailored your life for maximum joy and impact. He has already prepared the good works for you to walk in. That means you’re not a victim or a victor, you’re a steward.

In good times, praise God and be generous. In hard times, trust that the trial is not random, it’s been allowed for your refinement, to shape you into the image of Jesus. Like gold purified in the fire, you are being made more precious.

3. You Belong to God

This is the most important truth for conquering fear: you are God’s. He cares for you and has a bright future planned for you. Jesus has a plan for you in this life and the next. He has gone to prepare a place for you and will return to establish His Kingdom.

If your aim is this world, you will be filled with anxiety because this world is broken and fading. But if your aim is Christ, your future is secure. You were bought at a price, and your eternity is sealed by the resurrection and return of Jesus is imminent.

Live with hope. Walk by faith. You are a Conquerer in Christ.