FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC
Ministry Updates for Thursday, September 3rd, 2020
This article was shared by Mary Jacoby
Scripture- Romans 5: 3-5
“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.”
Reflection:
What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Did you just start singing the Kelly Clarkson song? Bopping your head to the song and singing confidently that we are now “standing a little taller.”
While we wish it wouldn’t, suffering finds its way into many parts of life. Nagging illnesses, the loss of loved ones, financial hardships, or another form of stress. We know that only death and taxes are guaranteed in life. But perhaps a third guarantee is that we will walk through trials. For Paul and the Romans, it was likely the severe persecution they faced as Christians. But let’s not focus on the trials… because they are inevitable. Instead let’s focus on….
Patience. A key ingredient of endurance. The word “endurance” is typically used to describe physical activities. Endurance isn’t required to run a sprint though. Endurance is needed to perform a long grueling activity like running a marathon. While we typically think of physical activities when endurance is mentioned, it doesn’t just apply to cultivating physical strength. It also applies to emotional and spiritual strength. When we persevere through trials, we will build our character. And along the way, we will learn patience.
Paul writes the scripture based upon experience. As a Christian who loudly proclaimed the name of Christ, his life was in extreme danger. Yet, he had the patience to know that if he ran the race and faced the trials, the outcomes would all be worth it. For him, the hope was that other people would come to know the gospel. For us, perhaps it’s the hope of healing, or waiting for the light at the end of a long tunnel. When we come to these trials, we can turn inward and reflect on how we can use the circumstance to bring ourselves closer to God. After all, when we go through trials, isn’t that when we need our Savior the most?
Prayer:
God in heaven, we pray that you may grant us patience. Help us to have faith in your promises and hope for the future, knowing that you are always guiding us. Help us to rejoice in the opportunities that we’ve been given to increase our spiritual endurance. And while we are learning to have patience, knowing that our timeline is not always yours, remind us that what you have in store for us is worth the wait. Amen