City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12 (ESV)

Reflection

I always find it odd that when my joy in the Lord is at its highest and God is manifesting Himself in my life, it is quickly followed by Satan’s attacks. And boy does Satan try to discourage and destroy my joy. There is no part of me that truly denies the fact that this is Satan’s most loved way to attack Christians.

If you are mellow in faith, Satan leaves you alone. But when you seek God’s will, oh, he hates it. He truly hates it. And yet, here’s the irony. Paul tells us that what Satan means for evil, God turns to good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). That’s right, God uses Satan’s own attacks against him. How can this be? Well, because enduring through sin produces godly character. We rely on God more in our tribulations, and then this reliance and character building produces hope that God will get us through. And hope does not disappoint because we know God is faithful based on what He has already done in our lives and through Jesus.

But, is it easy? By no means! Tribulation, hurt, and suffering takes time to heal. Paul tells us this in Romans 12. Be patient in tribulation, not to get over it, but to be patient. Patience equals time, because time will heal us and time builds character and hope in God to see us through. And with this, we are told to be constant in prayer and to rejoice in hope. What does rejoicing in hope mean? Rejoice means to re-enjoy. What are we to do re-enjoy? Ahh, maybe you already have the answer? If not, here it is.

Application

Where does your hope lie? Is it at the feet of Mount Calvary? If not, then seek God and build your foundation on Him. He will not disappoint you.

God may be taking you through your hard times so you can refocus or re-enjoy what He did on Mount Calvary. Be patient as you go through tough times, share your burdens with others, and above all, pray to your heavenly Father for He wants to build a relationship with you.

Prayer

Father in heaven, this life is full of struggles and hardship. But I know I can put my hope in You. You are building something bigger, something better within me, and it will cost me my life. I have to lose my life for Your sake so that I can gain it. So let me lean on You and trust You for all things and in all situations. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.