Running The Race To Winনমুনা

If there is one battle I have fought more than any other in my Christian walk, it is the struggle with hopelessness. My initial reaction to hopelessness is to begin wishing for a change of circumstances, yet Paul has a very different take on how hope relates to trials. Romans 5:3 says:

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;”

The darkest tribulation you face (the worst part of your life) can be a catalyst for constructing perseverance in you. This might not sound that great at first, but that’s because we misunderstand perseverance. What we often wish for instead is hope apart from trials. If hope is what we need, then yes, it makes the most sense to seek hope. But this is the point of our problem: we are seeking hope in the wrong manner by trying to get as far away from the tribulations and trials as we can. For that very reason, we are still hopeless. Look at the next verse:

“and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.”

Seeking or waiting for hope apart from hardship is not the answer. True hope enters our hearts when we respond to difficult circumstances through the workings of Jesus Christ in us. Jesus understood that the terrible trials He faced were all for a greater purpose. God loved us so much that He used hardship and death in Jesus’ life to bring about victory for us. When we humble ourselves before God and allow Christ to live in us, He begins to steer us toward that greater purpose through perseverance. The more we persevere in Christ, the more character He is able to develop in us. The more character we develop, the more hope we have.

Verse five takes it one step further by reminding us of the great gift of comfort God has given to those who are in Him:

“and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Hope does not disappoint. This does not mean you and I will never feel disappointment. It means that if you are in Christ, your hope will never die. It will always be renewed. Your hope will be rooted in a love that is so deep, it led the perfect Son of God to the cross so that He might be a sacrifice for an imperfect people. Disappointment is temporary, but the love of God is everlasting. Choose to place your hope in Jesus today.