Editor’s Note: This entry of A word from… is from FRCS Head of School David Cooper.
There is no shortage of things in our world today that can cause us to be anxious.
Political unrest, cultural upheaval, economic uncertainty, conflict around the world, and the seemingly relentless erosion of values once commonly held can leave even the most grounded among us feeling unsettled. Add to these the personal challenges of life, and it is easy to understand why so many struggle to find peace.
But I wonder if our greatest challenge is not found in the circumstances surrounding us, but rather in where we have chosen to fix our eyes.
We have become so consumed with watching the world that we sometimes forget to look toward the One who holds the world in His hands.
The writer of Hebrews instructs us to be “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2, NASB 1995).
We are not instructed to fix our eyes on political leaders, economic indicators, cultural trends, or our own ability to navigate life’s challenges. We are instructed to fix our eyes on Jesus.
Why? Because everything else is subject to change.
He is not.
I believe we sometimes confuse Christian hope with optimism. Optimism is the belief that circumstances will eventually improve. While there is nothing wrong with optimism, it is a fragile foundation upon which to build a life.
Optimism depends upon circumstances. Christian hope depends upon a Person.
Our hope is not rooted in the expectation that the world will become more peaceful, that our preferred political leaders will prevail, or that our personal challenges will disappear. Our hope is rooted in the character, faithfulness, and promises of God.
The prophet Jeremiah understood this distinction. Writing amid tremendous suffering and national devastation, he declared:
“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.” (Lamentations 3:22, NASB 1995)
Jeremiah did not find hope by denying the reality of his circumstances. He found hope by remembering the character of his God. We do not need to pretend that the world is not broken. Scripture makes clear that we live in a fallen creation. We should not be surprised when a fallen world behaves like a fallen world. But neither should we allow that brokenness to define our understanding of reality. For the Christian, the story does not end with the fall. It is the greater story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration, unfolding under the sovereign hand of God.
And we know how that story ends.
I have always found the account of Peter walking on the water particularly instructive. In Matthew 14, the disciples find themselves in a boat battered by waves. Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and Peter asks to join Him. For a moment, Peter does the impossible. He steps out of the boat and walks toward Jesus.
But then something changes.
Matthew tells us that Peter sees the wind, becomes frightened, and begins to sink (Matthew 14:30). The wind had not suddenly appeared. The waves had not just begun. The storm was already raging when Peter stepped out of the boat. What changed was Peter’s focus.
I wonder how often we do the same.
We consume a steady diet of troubling headlines, commentary, predictions, warnings, and outrage. We rehearse our fears about tomorrow. Before long, the circumstances of this world have become larger in our thinking than the God who created it. We have not necessarily stopped believing in God. We have simply allowed our circumstances to occupy the place in our thoughts that rightly belongs to Him.
The problem is not that the storm is too great. The problem is that we have allowed the storm to become greater in our minds than our Savior.
When Peter cried out, Jesus reached out His hand. The answer to Peter’s fear was not found in his ability to master the waves. It was found in the hand of Christ.
This brings me to something particularly important to our work at Front Range Christian School.
Our children are watching us.
They are listening to how we speak about the world, observing how we respond to difficulty, and learning from the things that capture our attention and shape our conversations. What are they learning? Are they learning that our peace depends upon the outcome of an election, the condition of the economy, or the approval of the culture? Or are they learning that we serve a sovereign God whose purposes cannot be frustrated by the failures of men?
At Front Range Christian School, we speak often about the importance of a Christian worldview. We believe that faith should illumine intellect and that intellect should nurture faith. We seek to cultivate students who can think cogently, speak articulately, and engage the world with truth, grace, and love. But a Christian worldview must be more than an intellectual framework for understanding academic subjects.
It must also be the foundation upon which we stand when life becomes difficult.
If we teach our students that God is sovereign over history, we must demonstrate confidence in His sovereignty when history becomes unsettling.
If we teach that all truth belongs to God, we must model the courage to pursue and proclaim truth even when it is unpopular.
If we teach that every person bears God’s image, we must demonstrate grace toward those with whom we disagree.
And if we teach that our hope is in Christ, our children should see that hope reflected in how we live.
We are not simply preparing students to succeed in a predictable and comfortable world. We are preparing them to live faithfully in a world that may be neither.
The psalmist reminds us:
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, NASB 1995)
Notice that God is described as a refuge in trouble, not merely an escape from trouble. God’s faithfulness is not measured by how successfully we avoid hardship. His faithfulness is revealed in His sustaining presence through it. Jesus Himself told His disciples that they would experience tribulation in this world, yet called them to courage because He had overcome the world (John 16:33). Throughout Scripture, God’s people faced uncertainty. Abraham left what was familiar. Joseph endured betrayal. Daniel confronted an ungodly culture. Paul experienced persecution. None could see the entirety of God’s plan as it unfolded. Yet God was at work. And He remains at work today. He is not surprised by the headlines. He is not threatened by cultural opposition. He is not uncertain about tomorrow.
And He has not abandoned His people.
Perhaps this is the question we should ask ourselves as we navigate these uncertain days. Are our eyes fixed upon the things that frighten us, or upon the One who has promised never to leave us? Are we allowing the noise of the world to shape our understanding of reality, or are we allowing the truth of God’s Word to shape how we understand the world? Are we communicating anxiety to the next generation, or modeling the quiet confidence that comes from knowing Christ?
None of this means we will never be afraid or that our challenges will be easily resolved. It means we know where to turn when fear comes. It means we can acknowledge uncertainty without surrendering to despair. And it means we can engage a broken world without allowing its brokenness to consume us.
May our children see in us a faith that is steady when circumstances are not. May our communities encounter Christians who respond to uncertainty with courage, hostility with grace, and suffering with compassion.
And may we remember that the One who calls us to walk faithfully through the storm is the very One who has authority over the wind and the waves.
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Our hope is in Him.
