“All things are wearisome, more than one can say…” – Ecclesiastes 1:8

When I look at the way things are and how my heart mourns the world’s shallow depth, I become quite disappointed. Not just because I longed for more than what I could find, but because of the shame I held against myself for feeling such a way.

“Just keep smiling until it’s real.” “Life is too short to be upset.” “Just don’t dwell on the bad things”… are all statements I would hear over and over again from those trying to help the ones who seem to be stuck in despair. Though I understand their good intention, I think a lament with such great depth cannot be comforted by a mask of a cure. Surely, I thought, there must be a greater hope. For why else would a soul long for what they never saw? How could a heart demand comfort from an embrace it never once felt?

A friend once told me that, “baptism begins in the heart.”

I sat with that for a while, thinking how simple, yet deep that statement was. From eternal death to life, salvation reveals our ability to be redeemed. And baptism is the physical visual of the redemption of our souls.

When we consider the meaning of redemption, we see that Christ has saved us from what we sold ourselves to. Yes, we became slaves to sin, but before that, we had community with God. A relationship rooted in love and honor.

I was always told that reading through Ecclesiastes would be the more depressing route to find hope. But I would argue, this Scripture is one of the most comforting.

For a while, I fought with myself for feeling grief towards the brokenness of what was meant to be beautiful. Friendships have become shallow, work has become an idol, and our status has dictated our worth and purpose for far too long. When I looked at the world, I struggled for a long time to see how others could spot the joy so easily. But as I began this passage of God’s Word, I found it captivating that a book like this was written by a man whose wisdom was rooted in God and who had attained nearly everything riches could purchase. He had it all material-wise. But more importantly, He had insight on what God considered truly rich.

It was not money, a career, a social status, nor ignorance that lead to a hopeful life in such a broken world. Rather, it was the fact that our hearts were designed for something greater, and that greater thing is fully in reach because of Christ. We may not see it in full glory on this side of Heaven, but perhaps that allows us to find joy in the glimpses of His Grace as it reveals His heart for us, even as we are now. Maybe, in our pursuit of sanctification, one of the greatest things we could acquire is a perspective of unconditional love and compassion towards and amidst all that is broken.

My dear friend, it is not easy to wipe the sorrow off your face. Constant disappointment often rids our soul of every ounce of hope we manage to scrounge up. But may you be encouraged that the grief felt over a lost world presses on God’s heart too. He mourns over what is broken, for it did not used to be that way. Though may you also be aware of the two powerful paths grief can lead you towards…

As disappointment takes a toll on one’s heart, it is your decision to allow despair to take root and cultivate shame or to respond in lament towards the God who provides the greater hope we so desperately long for.

“Baptism begins in your heart”…transformation must begin at the core of who we are. The desires we have must be disciplined to wait for satisfaction by God alone. For until we recognize that our longing for more originates from what we truly once had, we will never be lead to pursue anything beyond what we see offered by the world.

A greater hope was what we were created for. And by the grace of God, it is in reach, even as we stand in the grave, because of Jesus, the One who reached out first. Your soul’s desire is justified, but how you satisfy it determines whether you establish a hope in all that is meaningless, or in the only thing that is everlasting.

Praise God, for He welcomes the weary and offers a hope that we don’t even realize our whole being is starving for.