Joy is a feeling we can all grasp, but rarely hold. Especially as we yearn for something that has yet to happen. But it is in this hoping that we should hold joy tight, knowing it is never in vain.
Photo courtesy of Fuu J
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
Hope is a beautiful thing. It means better things to come. That there’s a light at the end of the dark tunnel we may be traveling through.
Hope means that no matter how hard things are now, there is relief on the way.
A positive pregnancy test for the couple that’s been yearning. The successful surgery for the one who’s been hurting. A friend for the one who feels lonely.
It’s easy to be joyful in hope… isn’t it?
Finding joy in tough times
The flip side of hope is that what we want isn’t here yet. Tomorrow may be the day, but today is not. The disappointment, the pain, the loneliness? Those are all today problems.
And when we look at it like that, which most of us do because we feel the present very keenly, we can’t feel any joy in hope. Hope is later, and some of us are dying for relief now.
I think it makes sense that these three things are linked together in this verse of the Bible. Joyful in hope. Patient in affliction. Faithful in prayer. Each one describes a feeling that doesn’t necessarily match the present moment.
It can be hard to be joyful when the thing we hope for is only a wish in our hearts. It’s painful to be patient when we are afflicted. And being faithful in prayer requires a trust that those prayers are not in vain, but are instead the best course of action.
Be joyful in all things
So we should try to be joyful in all things – the ones that are going our way, the ones that aren’t, and the ones we can only hope for.
If you are struggling right now, pray with faith and trust, wait patiently for your answer, and never stop feeling joy that there is always hope.
We are never left without hope because we are never left. God never walks away from us. If nothing else, that is a source of joy we should all be thankful for.
Have a blessed Monday!
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