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Hope comes through ‘time in’, not ‘time out’

Romans 5:3-4 (NKJV) And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. [emphasis added]

The apostle Paul tells the Roman church that hope is a result of the character developed while persevering through trials. In other words, keeping on trying during hard times is what gives you character. 

And what is character? It’s fortitude and integrity. It’s that gritty determination to persevere and do the right thing. It enables us to trust beyond what we can see. It’s that refusal to give in that, in turn, leads to hope.

I would like to suggest that the level of hope we have today is an indicator of the level of character that we’ve developed. If hope is not a stand-out feature of our lives, it’s because our character is still unformed. The truth is that developing your character is hard work, but it’s so important for activating your hope and stepping into what God has for you. 

When we go through stuff, our natural instinct is to protect ourselves. To back off, to be overly hesitant, reluctant to move forward. To dwell on past disappointments. It’s like we go into hibernation, pleading that we need some ‘time out’. But I’d like to challenge you that you don’t need time out when you’re going through tough stuff. You need ‘time in’. 

New Zealand’s famous rugby team – the All Blacks – has an amazing winning culture. The players don’t dwell on defeat or lose heart when they get behind. They meet attacks against them with even greater force. 

The All Blacks know that, when the forwards are in the scrum (packed down, pushing with all their might against the opposition), that’s where they’ve got to win. It’s all well and good having fast backs who can run the ball to the try-line. But if the forwards don’t win that ball in the scrum, there’ll be nothing to pass to the backs, and no forward momentum. 

Hope is bigger than your circumstances. What the enemy is bringing right now is actually going to make you stronger, because your perseverance through this season is going to create character. And, when you have character, you’re going to find hope. 

So, instead of pulling back when times get tough, we should be stepping out. Persevering. Not giving up. That’s how we develop character in our lives. As your character forms and matures, you will become a person of strong hope. Your character will be stronger than the circumstances that come against you.

If you’re going through something at the moment and you’ve been struggling to make it along to one service on a Sunday, I’ll give you a key. Come three times. Seriously. Try it and see if your levels of hope increase. Hope does not disappoint.