Scriptural Comfort for 5 Things That Will Never Be Perfect in This Life: Part 2
Read Part 1: Imperfect People
Read Part 3: Imperfect Past
Read Part 4: Imperfect Bodies
Read Part 5: Imperfect Faith
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
– John 16:33
Every day it gets more difficult to stomach the news we see and hear:
The corruption and cruelty of leaders worldwide.
The wars, the natural disasters.
The broken families, abused children, and young adults who are anxious and confused.
It’s not supposed to be this way. It's worrisome to the point of being overwhelming some days.
April 2021: A father in British Columbia, Canada, is sentenced to 6 months in prison for speaking out about his daughter’s medical gender transition.[1]
February 2023: A 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes southeast Turkey near the Syria border, followed by a 7.5-magnitude aftershock mere hours later. The disaster takes the lives of more than 55,000 people.[2]
October 2023: Hamas fighters breach the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and massacring civilians in 21 communities. The attackers kill 1,139 people and take 250 Israeli hostages to the Gaza Strip, including 30 children.[3]
What’s right is becoming what’s wrong, and what’s wrong is becoming right. There is no explanation for or control over floods, earthquakes, or tornadoes. Fear, anxiety, and grief can make us want to put up walls and shut out the world.
This was not how God designed it.
His creation was born from a desire to provide a beautiful place for His children to enjoy His presence, in which they would work, procreate, and flourish—in harmony with Him and with each other.
But sin destroyed all that, slowly but thoroughly as the years passed. We see the effects of sin on creation everywhere, from the diseases that ravage physical bodies, to the pollution of the air we breathe, to the moral decay of society. Still, the Bible tells us the answer to an imperfect world is trust.
Trust that He is Making All Things New
There was a time when God felt the world had gotten too violent and corrupt; the world and the people He had created had become so polluted with evil that He regretted ever making them. Because “everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil” (Genesis 6:5), He was determined to wipe the human race from the face of the earth. But Noah found favor in His eyes (Genesis 6:5-8).
Despite His decision to flood the entire world, God still provided a way of rescue for His faithful servant Noah and his family. Noah obeyed God’s directions to build the ark to protect his family from the floodwaters. His obedience allowed God’s plan to unfold: a remnant of creation would be preserved to begin anew.
God showed by the flood that the same power He used to create the world could be used to destroy it. His word of command that flooded the earth in Noah’s day currently holds back a judgment of fire yet to come (2 Peter 3:6-7).
We can trust that God is making all things new, including us (Revelation 21:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17)! Peter encourages us to live holy and godly lives as we look forward to the new heavens and new earth God has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness (2 Peter 3:11-14).
That very same chapter tells us that He is not willing that any should perish (v. 9). Do you love someone who doesn’t know the Lord yet? What seems like a delay in the Lord’s return is evidence of His grace—He is giving people time to turn to Him, and I don’t know about you, but that makes my heart grateful.
Trust that Imperfection is not Permanent
Though the current condition of our world is more than disheartening, there is a bigger picture here: sin’s reign on earth will only last so long. God is sovereign over all, and this includes sin.
This world will never be perfect. There will always be disease and disasters, poverty and heartbreak. But this world is not our forever home.
The Lord will come again one day to judge the world and gather up His own. Even creation will be redeemed (Romans 8:20-22). In the meantime, He is allowing time for everyone to have the opportunity to follow Him and accept the gift of salvation He offers.
While we continue to live here, we can cling to the promise of the gospel and share it with those who don’t know it yet. We can love and teach our children well. We can study Scripture and learn more about God. We can help those around us who need help. And we can keep our eyes on God and let the promise of Jesus’ return fill us with both urgency and joy.
For this world is not our permanent home;
we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
-Hebrews 13:14
[1] https://genderreport.ca/bc-father-in-prison-for-speaking-out-about-daughters-medical-transition/
[2] https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/here-are-10-of-the-deadliest-natural-disasters-in-2023?slide=11
The Bible's Answer for an Imperfect World: Trust
Questions for deeper reflection or journaling (Find a printable version here)
When you feel overwhelmed, fearful, or sad about the state of our world, remember that it belongs to God. Re-read the story of Noah in Genesis 6, and then read 2 Peter 3.
What similarities to our current world do you see?
What evidence do you see from the above passages of God's justice and grace?
Do these Scriptures fill you with fear or with hope? Why?
Write out 2 Peter 3:8. Why is this important to remember?
What will the day of the coming of the Lord be like? (2 Peter 3:10) Are you prepared for that day?
Read Hebrews 1:1-3, Colossians 1:17, and Psalm 75:3 (ESV). How can you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus when the world seems like it’s falling apart?
What are we specifically told to do in 2 Peter 3:11, 14, 17-18?
Describe the new heaven and new earth that is promised to believers in Christ (Revelation 21:1-7).
Make a list of ten blessings you have been given in this life. Give thanks and praise to God for your physical life and for His creation.
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