Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer
Romans 12:12
Wowsers. That’s quite the hattrick of qualities to consider in the life of the believer. It’s worth consdering how these three offer insight into how perspective and prayer are useful in problematic times.
Following Jesus is not about being perpetually cheerful.
There’s no requirement to have a grin plastered on your face and have the irritating habit of saying ‘well look on the bright side’ all the time. That kind of behaviour is not a good reflection of the Saviour who felt the sadness of the condition that He saw around Him. It is not a true reflection of the Saviour who wept along with those who wept.
A quality of those who follow Jesus is their capacity to rejoice. There is much to rejoice about and the specific purpoe of rejoicing that the apostle Paul pointed out in outlining what defined followers of Jesus was their great capacity to rejoice in hope. That hope being about this wonderful Saviour who lived, served and suffered.
The hope in Him is not just about Him showing the example of what it is to be human. It is not just about the sacrifice He made at Calvary. This hope is in His resurrection, His ascension and His return. That’s reason for hope because it means the trust we have in Him is one driven by resurrection power. That’s reason for hope becaue it means the trust we have in Him is situated far above all the issues that look to spoil creation. That’s reason for hope because it means the trust we have in Him has the promise of something greater ahead – brighter days ahead as He returns to rule in majesty and righteousness.
That kind of hope in Him does not just give us something to look forward in the there and then. It informs the purpose and perspective of daily living. This is where the rejoicing comes in. The response of rejoicing comes by considering the hope that awaits us in Jesus and how that fills us with a great purpose for today. Again, it’s not silly, delusional and misguided thinking about glasses half full with a cheesy grin. No, this rejoicing is in the God of our salvation. This rejoicing is in the reality of what is ahead and how that makes such a difference.
That rejoicing in hope comes in useful as well when it comes to how to deal with trouble-filled times. Part of the package of loving and living for Jesus involves tribulations. People go through problems for sure, but there is a specific and targeted assault on the believer exactly because they’re a believer. Those troubled times are designed to unsettle, disturb, unbalance and confuse the believers. They are set to distract the believer and if at all possible let them lost heart and lose hope. They are formed with the quest of getting the believer to get hung up on something else rather than the focus of their living hope.
This is why rejoicing in hope connects naturally with the call to be patient in tribulation. Patience and endurance. Patience and persistence. Patience and perseverance. Patience and faithfulness. Patience to stick to the course in the light of those efforts – overt and subtle – that seek to make troubled times leave troubled minds.
Knowing that it is not going to be a comfortable journey following Jesus is one thing. Knowing that troubled times are ahead gives the focus when they happen. This patience brings us back to the source of our hope. This patience rests on acknowledging that strength is renewed for those who wait on the Lord. This approach of exercising patience in trouble is possible because of the presence of God by His Spirit in us. That presence is why what emerges is that patience. Whatever initial disturbance there was can be quelled. Whatever initial anxiety was caused can be dispelled. Whatever unpleasantness threatens the sweet communion can be dismisses. All because the presence produces the patience.
That presence that produces the patience is expressing something far greater than us. It is declaring to the world the amazing quality to keep going under great difficulties and when it would be easier to opt for an easier life, a quieter life and one without that hassle. It would be easier to do that. That easy option comes at a cost, though. That cost is far too great to give up for a small takste of instant and fleeting gratification. That cost is not worth it in comparison to the joy that awaits because of the hope that lives in us in the light of the reality of the King.
There’s the rejoicing and there’s the patience and what underpins these is ongoing dialogue with the living hope.
Prayer truly is at times the oxygen of the believer. As God reveals Himself by His living Word, spoken word, written word and evidenced word in creation, so He grants us the opportunity to engaging with words from us to Him. He hears us. We hear Him. He understands us and gives us the ability to understand Him by His Spirit. All this as long as we are committed to the course of constant prayer. It’s a spiritual discipline for a reason, but the regularity is not meant to be formulaic and ritualistic. The regularity is to breed an intimacy and appreciation for the privilige of taking everything to the Lord in prayer so we’re even more mindful of why we have reason to rejoice and why it makes sense to be patient in troubled times.
This prayer is not just a hallmark of an individual’s life. It’s the mark of the community of believers. Recognising that the communication is as much a communal experience as it is an individual one, so there’s the impulse to pray together and appreciate just how crucial the role is of prayng together to motivate and stimulate everything else that makrs out those who follow the Lord Jesus our living hope.
The instruction and encouragement for constant prayer is given, however, in the knowledge of our tendency to treat prayer like an emergeny hotline. Indeed there is an inclination to slack in prayer, to forget why it’s essential in the life of the believer. As the communication and communion wanes, so there’s less of a conscious desire to rely on God. Where there’s a slip in the reliance on God, so there’s a likelihood to depend on other things which will prove to be fruitless and frustrating.
This is contrasted with what thriving, consistent prayer provides for the believer and the community of grace. It is not a picture painted of everything perfect and rosy. It clearly isn’t a trouble free vision at all. Oh, but it is a scenario where the joy of the Lord strengthens. It is a design where the peace of God resides. It is a drawing of people drawing from the life of Christ to submit to each other out of reverence for Him and experiencing God at work in them and through them for His glory. It is a setting where the perfect love of God expels fear. All as the ongoing dialogue helps us to cast our cares on Him, make our requests known to Him with thanksgiving and also leave ourselves open to receive His guidance for how today we can be light and salt.
It’s quite the hattrick of qualities to consider in the life of the believer – rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation and being constant in prayer. It is a distinctive hattrick indeed and demonstrates to a watching world what it is to follow Jesus.
They are marks of a true Christian.
(This blog series was inspired by the Christian meditation on The Marks of a True Christian from the Encounter podcast.)
(Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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