“The most spiritually dangerous place you can be is living a perfect life with no problems.”

I’m sure I nodded in assent when my high school theology teacher spoke these words to our class, not fully grasping the enormity of his message. “There,” he continued, “you’re most likely to forget that you desperately need God at all times.”

We spend much of life trying to maximize enjoyment and minimize pain. Those are good pursuits, as there’s no virtue in pain itself. But sometimes pain finds us in ways we never expected, and our own bodies may betray us. It’s here that we are reminded of our even deeper need.

This time of year draws Christians’ minds to that same need. Our greatest need is spiritual renewal—we move from death to life as God draws us to himself through Christ’s atoning work.

But our sense of need continues as the realities of living with broken bodies in a broken world grind down our hopes and dreams. Physical frailty pricks us with the reminder that our hope cannot be based in this life. Solid hope cannot be built on fragile things, and everything in this life is fragile. Christ is the only firm foundation, and in him we find all our needs met; his resurrection and triumph ensure the same for us as we journey through this weary world.

—Nate Brooks, author, Disrupted Journey

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