Three Things That Remind Us That We Are Not Abandoned
Romans 12:12 says: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
This verse, along with the surrounding verses, focuses in on what we, as Christians, should be doing, and when we do them, we are reminded of how close God is. A few thoughts on this verse:
(1) Rejoice in hope
Hope is all around us, even in the midst of the worst of circumstances. For me, as a pastor, hope is always present. A new sermon series or Bible study gives the opportunity to regroup and start something powerful. A new week means that I can put whatever disaster or lackluster day the previous week contained behind me. A new season means that there is always the occasion to see more people returning to church or coming to church for the first time. I am always optimistic about the future of the church, because I believe there is always the time to break out of decline and spiritual regression, and capitalize on the hard work preparing for that soon-to-be season. So, I try to remind myself to give the thanks to God that He allows me another day, week, or season to experience the power of the future.
For people who are terminally ill, or who are homeless, jobless, in the midst of immense tragedy, hope is not a word that satisfies. What if that next day or week or season will not be there? Or, what if that next season you’ve been waiting for hasn’t happened in the past 3 or 4 cycles?
It’s easy to get discouraged when what we’ve been waiting for, praying for, doesn’t happen the way we’ve asked for it to. We can feel like the promises of God have been relegated to a time or generation of people past. Have the sins of a people who continually walk away from God ruined it for the faithful few? Has God abdicated His healing hand and given it to the will of the limits of technology, medicine, or government policy?
When things are always against us, it can seem that way. It can seem like God does not want to stretch His power for us. It can be tempting to believe the “God helps those who help themselves” crowd. But we believe that something else is to be recognized: the distant shore of eternity overshadows all earthly sorrow. Hope does not spring eternal for the sake of this world but for the sake of an eternity promised in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Many who have experienced earthly blessing and followed Jesus Christ will see that promised eternity, but so will the faithful who the world sees fit to reject or who God has blessed in other ways apart from the way we measure “blessing.” Some people seem to have it all, but they don’t. If you ask even the most successful of people, they will tell you (or they should be humble enough to admit it) that there is some attribute that they wished they had that they’ve seen demonstrated in the life of another. We are very good at recognizing our inequity and believing that is our void, instead of realizing how the Lord has emboldened or blessed us.
All of us have the opportunity to realize hope, but we don’t all take advantage of it. Hope in Jesus Christ means that, as He was not abandoned to the grave, neither are we. This life might be more devastating than we had thought or hoped, but God’s plan reminds us that an eternity of rest is much greater and longer than earthly pain. We wait in hope that the grace of God keeps us steady in the seasons we do experience here on earth.
(2) Be patient in tribulation
I used to be a lot more patient than I am now. I’ll admit it. Kids test the limits of your patience. The limited time of a career can test your patience. But, St. Paul, as he is writing to the Romans, I think hits on a very foundational principle of what it means to be human: patience when it is all falling apart is one of the toughest battles to face. I must admit when the tribulation, no matter how insignificant, starts adding up and picking up steam, my patience dwindles and oftentimes is nowhere to be found.
Stress happens. How we deal with it tells how we are willing to allow God to remind us that frustration should take a second chair to patience, especially when other people are watching, and doubly when our families are watching. Patience is one of the best things we can model and teach those who look up to us. Our Lord was a great model of patience, but sadly, many of us have not lived up to such a worthy standard.
Patience in tribulation is one of the greatest blessings that we can have. It is how we are blessed as we see God working something different in our temperaments, but it’s also a blessing we give ourselves as we affirm that we are not going to let our situations get the better of us.
It’s not a matter of asking God to give you circumstances where you can work toward patience, they’re already there, many times a day. The grace is in recognizing them and revealing to the Lord, honestly, where you struggle is and how you are weak and need His help. Tribulation isn’t going away anytime soon for us; seeing how the Lord has guided your heart over a period of time to trust that tribulation won’t win… that can only help strengthen our opportunities for thanksgiving in the power of Jesus.
When we exercise patience we are reminded of God’s patience and that He wishes that all be saved. He who patiently endured the lack of faith of the disciples, can guide us in the patience we need as we spiritually grow. Patience is the reminder that God is patient, and because God is patient, He is willing to receive us in His grace whenever we ask. That is not the mark of a God who leaves His people, but the mark of a God who loves His people and cares for their needs beyond reproach.
(3) Be constant in prayer
Paul connects a lot of disciplines with prayer, such as rejoicing, giving thanks, and being patient. You find these overlapping themes in multiple letters that he writes to the churches. The reminder: we cannot allow prayer to be neglected in our lives.
I must admit, I get discouraged when I read the stories of great people of the faith who are recounted as being constantly in prayer. I wish I knew what percentage of their lives were dedicated to prayer so I could get a gauge for my own life. I know we’re not supposed to judge ourselves based on someone else’s spiritual life, but sometimes it’s nice to compare notes to see how we can be more effective. Where I need balance, I can find strength from the faith of someone else. Where someone else would like to grow, perhaps I might be able to help them as they see the passion I have in certain disciplines.
A consistent prayer life is the antidote to a lot of what ails us. Prayer is not simply a way that we communicate with God, but it also gives us comfort in knowing that we have a way and place to release the burdens and stressors of this world. Taking it to God in our times of prayer reminds us that we are not alone. A great belief is that, no matter how many people are praying at the same time we are, God is never overwhelmed, nor is He too busy or unconcerned to hear our prayers.
Prayer is a reminder that God has not forsaken us, but is ever-present.
A constancy of prayer is a reminder that we have things to say and God has things He wants to hear.
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If you rejoice a little every day, try patience every day, and pray every day, you’ll notice the difference. God knows that these things all point us to the love of God in Christ Jesus. If He was willing to die for us, how much more is He willing to help us stay steady in that message of grace? Why would He die for us and then abandon us to the wolves of this world? No, He is there so that we can be reminded of what is to come and how He will help us, if we let Him, work through what seeks to destroy us along the way. Jesus was helped; so are we. Amen.
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