The constant push in Western Christianity to “make it practical” betrays our favorite apostasy—it exposes how utterly fixated on the present moment we really are.

Yes, we need to embody God’s love in the world today. The human race is not well; things fall apart. We must care for the planet and all creation; we must fight injustice. But we speak of that work so casually; we do not understand it can be the most demanding, heartbreaking work in the world. Those who serve at the front lines of social justice ministry have a tragically high burnout rate. Without a glorious hope blazing in your heart, you will be crushed by the pain of the world. “If you read history,” wrote C. S. Lewis, “you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

If you really want to make a difference in the world, the best thing you can do is exactly what the Scriptures command you to do—grab the promised Renewal with both hands and make it the anchor of your soul:

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God. (Hebrews 6:18–19 The Message)

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