Do we have the wrong map for the Christian life?

The apostle Paul traces out a pattern of dying and rising with Jesus—what Paul Miller calls the "J-Curve"—as the normal Christian life. Life's inconveniences, disappointments, and trials can leave us confused, cynical, and eventually bitter.

But the J-Curve plots the ups and downs of our lives onto the story of Jesus. It grounds our journeys not in some abstract idea but in union with Christ and his work of love. Understanding our life in light of the J-curve roots our hope, centers our love, and tethers our faith to Christ.