"1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 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 5:1-5 ESV
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The words "hope does not put us to shame," have brought tremendous peace and rest to my soul, especially because I have been feeling very anxious lately.
My anxiety about the future, probably like yours, often fixates itself on one desired outcome. And by doing so, it shuts out the possibility of any sub-optimal outcome that is any less than what I have envisioned and imagined for my ideal future.
But this same fixation has been terribly damaging because it has often created obsession, stress, and a whole host of other harmful effects that make the process of waiting filled with great tension and anxiety.
And I am beginning to understand that my waiting is an attempt to freeze the moment, and pause all the moving parts long enough until I can get what I am waiting for.
But this is unhealthy.
The scripture shows that the Bible's take on waiting is different, because biblical waiting waits in hope. The one who waits, waits in hope. He endures hardship and suffering, all with the view of the 'joy set before Him', and he challenges the tension and pain of the now with a hopeful vision of the future.
And that vision of the future is one where you and I are reunited with the Father and we can all share in beautiful communion and dwell in an eternity of belonging and love.
That is Jesus' why; and that why is you.
But what is your why? What lies on the other side of your waiting?
Because until you understand the great reward of what lies on the other side of your patience and endurance, the moment of waiting often becomes unbearable and can be extremely soul-crushing; because what if it does not work out? What if it is not what you thought it would be?
The truth is it may not, because certainty is not a luxury we have on this side of eternity.
So, your plans may fail and you may not get that which you want, and that is okay because your plans are not everything. Life doesn't stop when your plans do not work out, and it will continue with or without your approval; it doesn't need it.
Things may go terribly wrong, and maybe even go absolutely perfectly (that possibility still exists), but through it all what our souls need to hold onto is hope; in the certainty of God, the fellowship of His Spirit, and the hope of an eternity in Him and with Him. And as we hold onto this vision of the future, we will slowly realize that what we wait and desire for here on earth can be really good, but isn't everything.
In fact, like all of this creation, what we really get is but a breath and will likely fade away.
Does this mean we don't entertain our hopes and desires? No, we engage fully with them and we dream and create glorious visions of the future, but we hold onto these loosely because our tight grips have no guarantee of fulfillment. Because, like our dreams, we are the created and are limited in our ability to create and influence the world.
But God possesses the ability, and is constantly working out the optimal outcome; your partnership in Him and His glory.
And in all of this we have to hold on tightly to hope, because it will give us the ability to wait well and eventually see God in all His splendor and majesty; and He will not put us to shame.
So, dream and grow, but hold on even tighter to the hope for Him to be glorified through your plans and your dreams. Because He fights for you, moving realities and peoples and nations so that He would be glorified through you, and we can trust Him to give us the true desires of our hearts.
God is good and desires great things for us, but does not give us His hand before He gives us Himself, and may that be the reminder for us as we wait in hope for our glorious futures.
"for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" Phillipians 2:13 ESV.
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_Takunda
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