As of the writing of this post, we are just a few days past Easter. If you happen to be reading this at another point in the year, don’t worry, it will still be relevant. In fact, it may be even more applicable. Why? Stick with me and find out.

On Easter, Christians remember an event that changed everything. Often referred to as Holy Week, Easter and the days surrounding it are the pinnacle of the Christian calendar. This makes sense. From Jesus’ willingness to die on a cross on our behalf on the day we refer to as “Good Friday” to his miraculous resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday, there would be no Christian faith without it. As incredible as the life of Jesus was, it was his death and resurrection that changed the world.

For this reason, Christians have taken steps to prepare themselves for the remembrance and celebration of this important moment in time. Steps such as lent, sermon series at churches, Bible reading plans, and more have been created to help people connect with the significance of Easter. All of these activities can be valuable and make a difference in our lives. I have certainly found this to be the case. However, what do we do after Easter?

Much like Christmas, we have a tendency to pack up the Easter decorations and move on with our lives after celebrating Easter. As meaningful as the day of and the days leading up to Easter are, we treat them as an event instead of a jumping off point. In some ways, this makes sense: it was an event. In other ways, we miss the point and the opportunity when we don’t realize that it was an event that changed everything. What if we lived all year in light of the hope of Easter?

Over the past number of posts, I explored the idea of thriving and creating a more hope-filled world as we begin to see ourselves and others differently. In many ways, this is what Easter was about. Jesus came and died for us, demonstrating how much God truly loves us. In Jesus’ death, God was saying, “you are worth everything”. This should frame the way we see ourselves and others. In Jesus’ resurrection, God was saying hopelessness and brokenness are not the end of the story. Instead, God is on mission to redeem and restore the world back to how it ought to be. Jesus’ death and resurrection made this possible. And guess what? We are invited to participate.

This is why Easter should be a jumping off point and reminder for the opportunity we have. Did Jesus pay for our sins and give us the opportunity to go to heaven one day on that first Easter? Yes! He also gave us the chance to live lives that bring heaven to earth by the way that we love and value others. In other words, we aren’t just “waiting around to go to heaven”. Instead, we are empowered to live in such a way that the world is a little closer to way God created it to be because of it. In this way, we are pointing people to the God who loves them and created them on purpose and with a purpose.

What does this look like practically? The best way I have found to describe it is bringing spiritual and practical hope. To say it another way, we can help people discover a reframed identity around the way God sees them and provide real opportunities for people to exercise their God-given potential. This might sound complicated and big, but it doesn’t have to be. It really just starts by living your life on a mission to bring hope to others. It is about having your eyes open to the opportunities that present themselves as you walk through life and a heart willing to take a step to bring hope to someone else.

On Easter we do remember a event, but it is an event that can and should change the way we live on a daily basis. We get to live more hope-filled and hope-bringing lives because of what Jesus did for us on that first Easter. Jesus said as much following his resurrection and the world is different because of it.

What if you chose to see Easter as a jumping off point for a life-changing, world-altering adventure to advance God’s hope-filled Kingdom? What if you intentionally chose to carry the hope and power of Easter with you every day? What if I chose to do the same? The world and our lives would be a different place.

Let’s make the incredible, life-changing, hope-filled event we remember on Easter a jumping off point to live an incredible, life-changing, hope-filled life.

James Belt

Click here​ for more information on my book Hope Realized and resources to help you bring hope to others!