Life Lessons

”Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.“Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬ 

• I love this verse because Paul tells me; us, what we are to do! We don’t need to question or wonder, we are to…
• Rejoice in hope
• Be patient in tribulation
• Be constant in prayer 

But is it that easy? What does it mean for us to “rejoice in hope”? What does this look like in our daily lives? What does it mean to rejoice?
A dictionary definition for the word Rejoice is, “to show great joy or delight”. So what brings us great joy? What do we delight in? For me, my favorite hobby is sewing, especially quilting! I love seeing how it all comes together, like a puzzle, even if I am just following a pattern, I still get to choose the colors; the layout. And it always makes me feel good when I know the person receiving it enjoys it! I also enjoy fishing, especially when I feel that tug on the line and get a little fight reeling in that fish! Or taking a walk along one of the many trails my husband and I have hiked in our travels to different State and National Parks. Being outside, enjoying the sounds of the birds, or the rustle of leaves as the breeze goes by, the sound of a waterfall or the sent in the air from flowers that bloom. The scenery alone can cause me to feel joy. Or give me the desire to rejoice in the beauty of God’s creation that surrounds me. But the verse says “Rejoice in hope”. 

What does it mean to “Rejoice in hope”? One definition of “hope” is, “To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future”. The Bible says that God is the God of hope. Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.“ 

For me, to hope then, is to trust in God, since He is the God of all hope! So, perhaps to “rejoice in hope”, is to remember that God is in control; He keeps His promises; His purpose for me will be fulfilled. ‭‭ To rejoice in hope is to trust in God for who He is; He is Faithful; trustworthy; Merciful and kind. To rejoice in hope is to remember His faithfulness to me. I think I can learn to like rejoicing in hope! But then there’s…

“Be patient in tribulation”; adversity, struggle, challenges, trials, whatever you want to call it, we are told to “be patient in tribulation”. Definitely NOT easy! 

One definition of patience is, “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset”. Wow, that’s a tall order! Sometimes I can become so easily frustrated or impatient, especially when someone cuts me off in traffic! Or dealing with a billing issue of some sort. And enduring the time it took to get glasses! Now that was a lesson in patience:) 
I can’t help but keep going back to ”Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,“ ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬
”Count it all joy”? I don’t know about you, but this can definitely present a challenge at times, not always easy. 
Whether we “meet” or “face”, rest assured trials and challenges will come for the verse says, “when” or “whenever”. The key, I suppose, is how we choose to respond. 
We can try and run the other way; try and go around or take the easy way out, but His way is always through.
Isaiah 43:2-3 says, “when you pass through”; “when you walk through”, doesn’t say anything about avoiding. But, God’s promise is that He is with us! We will not be overcome; we will not be consumed; we have no need to fear. Because, the testing of our faith produces steadfastness; perseverance. So, we can “count it all Joy” because we know God has a greater purpose; a plan for this “trial”, whatever it may be. Let’s just say I’m still learning how to “rejoice in tribulation”! 

Lastly, we are to be “constant in prayer”. Reminds me of Luke 18:1, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.“ To be “constant in prayer” then is to not give up even when you don't see any change. Colossians 4:2 tells us, ”Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.“ Being watchful in prayer, what does that look like? Pay attention; take notice; how is God answering your prayers? It may be in ways you least expect it, sometimes it's in small ways. I love Charles Stanley’s Life principle 27, which says, “Prayer is life’s greatest time-saver”! 

I guess the opposite of Prayer being a time-saver would be Worry, a time-waster! Ask me, I tend to be a worrier, but I am learning to pray instead. On my sewing machine I keep a simple statement by Chuck Swindoll, “worry about nothing, pray about everything “. It has become my mantra 🙂. 
In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are instructed to “pray continually,”
There are so many more examples in Scripture of those who prayed first, who sought God and His intervention in their time of need, or praised Him as they remembered all He had done for them, or simply rejoiced in His faithfulness. And we can do the same! So as we learn to “be constant in Prayer”, may we remember, “Prayer is life’s greatest time saver”!