What does it look like to live a life that moves beyond the ordinary—a life that holds onto hope even amid sorrow, practices gratitude in every season, and walks gracefully in a world often marked by brokenness? These questions sit at the heart of both our faith and our humanity. Over the years, I’ve come to see the Christian story not as a roadmap that avoids the challenges of life but as a narrative that embraces beauty, disappointment, and hope with both eyes open. And lately, I’ve been reflecting on how we can go beyond the “good” and “great” aspects of our faith toward something truly “greater”, as an integrated whole.
We often believe that a “good” life is one that entails perpetual bliss and happiness, as if the best kind of life does not include struggle or difficulty. But that expectation can lead to disappointment, because not only is that perspective naïve to our experience of the world, but it also dismisses a real aspect of the Christian story – the beautiful world God created is now fallen, and we live in this in-between time. But Jesus doesn’t just want “good” for us; He calls us toward something greater. He promises us “life to the full” (John 10:10), an abundance that stretches far beyond our circumstances and gives us a way of hope in every situation. This promise can seem abstract when we’re stuck in the trenches of daily life. Many of us oscillate between moments of beauty and bursts of disappointment, unsure how to reconcile the two. Yet, I believe it’s precisely through these ups and downs that we begin to unlock deeper truths about God’s story—and our place within it.
Here’s the thing about beauty and disappointment. They’re not mutually exclusive; in fact, they often coexist, interwoven in the fabric of life. This life is breathtaking in its wonder and raw in its pain, and the tension between those poles pulls at all of us. Why is there so much goodness in the world and yet so much suffering? It’s a question we all ask in one form or another. The Christian story offers a unique answer, one that names this tension instead of ignoring it. Yes, God created a world that was beautiful, but human sin fractured it. That’s why life is both glorious and gut-wrenching. Yet, there’s more to the story. The good news is that God doesn’t leave us in the middle of this unresolved tension—He moves us toward a life full of hope through Jesus.
Three Greater Practices
This brings me to the idea of “greater.” Greater isn’t about living without pain or disappointment. It’s not a call to avoid life’s harder questions or hide from its sharper edges. Greater is about living into the beauty, facing the disappointment, and rising above it all with resilience anchored in hope. To get there, we practice gratitude, grief, and grace. These practices, humble as they may seem, can move us from merely surviving life’s oscillations to actively flourishing within them.
Take gratitude, for instance. It’s easy to be thankful when things are going well, but what about when life gets tough? Gratitude becomes radical when it’s practiced in those darker, quieter moments. When we pause to thank God for the good in our lives—even in seasons of wilderness—we declare that beauty persists, no matter the circumstances. Gratitude teaches us to name and treasure the glimpses of God’s goodness amid the noise and chaos.
Then there’s grief—an emotion we often shy away from, maybe because it feels too heavy or too vulnerable. But grief isn’t just a season we try to get through; it’s a sacred space where God meets us in our deepest pain. I think of David confessing his sin, or about Job weeping in the ashes, or even Jesus, who mourned at Lazarus’s tomb. Grieving has a way of drawing our hearts toward God’s heart, first in ways we need to confess and repent, and in other painful moments, to surrender with vulnerability. Grief reminds us that this world, though beautiful, is not yet as it should be. Sitting in grief is not a failure of faith; instead, it’s a tender act of trust, an unspoken cry that says, “God, I need You here, now.”
And lastly, there’s grace—a word that’s tender and bold all at once. Grace is the bridge that joins gratitude and grief. It’s what allows us to face the world as it is and still believe that greater things are possible. Grace is unmerited, generous, and fierce. It’s what we receive from Jesus and what we’re invited to offer to others. Practice grace often enough, and it transforms relationships, communities, even entire systems. It allows us to relinquish perfectionism and lean instead into redemptive love.
That’s why I wrote Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful: How Gratitude, Grief, and Grace Reflect the Christian Story. This book is born from my desire to help readers, whether they’re exploring faith or firmly rooted in it, make sense of life’s mixture of beauty and disappointment. Through the lens of Christian practices like gratitude, grief, and grace, my hope is to offer a resource that equips you to face life’s deepest questions with honesty and find a hope that transcends circumstances.
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection embody all of this. He fully embraced the beauty of His Father’s creation, wept over its brokenness, and—with unshakable hope—ushered in grace that would surpass all our expectations. Jesus didn’t just settle for good or even great; He lived a life that called people toward a fuller, richer reality—a “greater” reality.
What kind of church do we want to be?
When I think about the church, I can’t help but ask, “What kind of church do we want to be?” More churches are needed, certainly—but not just any kind. We need “more and better” churches that reflect this same vision of beauty, disappointment, and hope. Churches that equip people to grieve losses, savor life’s gifts, and embody grace boldly. Churches that don’t settle for programs that “work” but instead lean into Kingdom practices of multiplication and transformation of holistic disciples. And as individuals, our questions must echo this calling. What kind of lives do we want to live? What kind of hope do we want to cultivate in others?
At the heart of it all is Jesus—the one who calls us to greater things than we could accomplish on our own. Moving beyond good or even great isn’t about us striving harder. It’s about Jesus’ Spirit working through us, guiding us to lives of hope that ripple outward, transforming families, communities, and cities that are experiencing beauty and disappointment.
What if we could live that way? Imagine standing hand-in-hand with God’s story, alive with gratitude, honest in grief, overflowing with grace. What if we could step into the “greater” that God has in mind—not just for ourselves but for everyone around us? Maybe, just maybe, this is the life we’ve been longing for all along.
