All Joy, No Stress: A 5-Day Devotional With Rhett Walkerنموونە

Trust the Expert

“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” – Romans 12:12

The “keep calm and carry on” meme has been personalized for virtually every profession and interest imaginable. You can buy mugs emblazoned with, “keep calm and let the paramedic handle it,” “keep calm and let the primary teacher handle it,” or fill in the blank with any other job description. Just let the expert handle it! It’s hard to keep calm and carry on, handling situations you’re not trained to handle. An astronaut can strap into a rocket ship and endure a launch with extreme G-force while the rest of us would likely pass out. A police officer can adeptly defuse a dangerous situation that many would probably make worse.

In Romans 12:12, Paul wasn’t writing about flying to outer space or stopping crime, he was writing about living a life of faithfulness—finding joy and hope in difficult circumstances, being patient in affliction, and other aspects of the Christian life we might not feel we’re trained to handle. His message? In Christ we are trained and skilled no matter what difficult circumstances we face.

This is different than being skilled in a profession. It’s not up to our abilities or giftedness to rejoice in hope when a situation seems hopeless. Paul knew this from experience. He knew what the law taught, and he knew what Jesus taught and how He lived. Paul was a professional evangelist. He was a skilled orator. He knew what he was supposed to do and say when troubles came, and he still prayed constantly. Paul wasn’t an exemplary Christian because he was a great speaker or because he was well-educated. He was an exemplary Christian because he needed and depended on God in every moment.

The key to our calmness, the key to our godly handling of any and every situation we face, is constant prayerful dependence on God, who is the expert. We call on Jesus daily, with joy and patience in the hope that He knows and can handle every one of our needs.

Reflection

• What is a situation or relationship where you feel anxiety and distress over calmness and joy? How does Romans 12:12 speak to you about that situation?
• Why is persistence in prayer necessary for experiencing all joy and no stress?
• Thank God that He knows your needs even better than you do and has the power to work in ways you cannot. Confess anything you’re stressed or worried about to Him and invite Him to handle it in whatever way He purposes for your good and His glory.