John 9 tells a story about Jesus healing a man who was blind since birth. Jesus mixed his own saliva with some dirt, spread the muddy mixture on the man’s eyes, and told him to go and wash in a pool—and the man received sight. For his entire life, this man had seen nothing but darkness, but Jesus gifted him with seeing eyes after proclaiming, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).

The apostle Paul advises God’s people not to lose heart when the troubles of this life dim our outlook on the future. When we are discouraged by the sin and injustice of the world, a broken relationship, a tough situation at work, a grim financial outlook, a health crisis, and more, it can feel like we are sitting in a dark room. How will this ever be resolved?

It’s all about perspective and what we focus on. We can sit around with mud on our eyes, or we can wash it off and see the light of Jesus. Paul says the problems we see are temporary, but the hope we have in Jesus—though unseen—is eternal.

The body you’re sitting in was not created to last forever; mine is not expected to last more than a few years. But as Christians, we share a bright future in Jesus Christ, the light of the world.