“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

I have a confession to make.

I am really tired of this Covid-19 pandemic. I am frustrated and tired. I don’t want to be socially distant anymore. I don’t want to worry about getting sick anymore. I don’t want to worry about our members getting sick anymore. I am tired and frustrated.

Ok. Glad to get that off my chest.

Here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter what I think or how I feel about the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether I like it or not, it’s still here. This is still our reality and there’s not a darn thing I can do to change the pandemic and its social consequences.

However, there is something I can change. I can change my attitude.

It’s precisely in such situations the Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12). The letter to the Romans is one of Paul’s final letters. Paul is most likely writing this letter in prison. Death is a certain possibility for Paul. That’s when he writes this charge.

• Rejoice in hope
  • This isn’t an empty rejoicing. This is rejoicing in the absolute certainty of the hope of Christ.
  • That Christ wins, that the Kingdom wins, that the darkness is defeated, that satan loses, these are all certainties.
  • That is the source of our hope.
• Be patient in suffering
  • Don’t you hate it when someone tells you to be patient?
  • Suffering always sucks. It’s never pleasant. It’s never fun. It’s always miserable.
  • But that’s why we need to be patient. Suffering has an end. It is not enduring. There will be better days.
• Persevere in prayer
  • This is kind of like “be patient.”
  • When things are tough, don’t give up. Most importantly, don’t give up praying. Praying itself is the posture and the expectation that the current suffering is not right. Praying is the posture of one who knows that there are better days.
  • So, stay at it. Keep praying. Don’t ever give up. Keep on praying.

Rejoice. Be Patient. Persevere.

This too shall end. There will be better days.

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).

“…so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

Did you know that our joy is intimately related to Christ’s joy? As we have seen this week, joy isn’t an emotion we feel, it is a decision we make based on a changed reality. The reason why Christ gives us his word is that his joy may be in us.

John tells us “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

The Word of God and the Son of God are one and the same.

There is no way we can come to know the Son of God apart from the Word of God. As you read the full fifteenth chapter of John, you can see that the context of verse 11 refers to the relationship of God’s Word and the fruitful disciple.

Jesus tells us, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).

The way we live in joy, experience joy is to have Christ living in us. That Christ lives in us is not that the idea of Christ is in us, or that a feeling of Christ is in us. Christ living in us means that the Word of God is in us. Christ lives in us as his word lives in us. And when Christ lives in us through his word, Christ’s joy is in us. And when Christ’s joy is in us, our joy is made complete.

That you are reading this is a good thing. This and other ways of regularly spending time with God’s word is how we spend time with God.

May Christ’s joy be in you so that your joy may be complete!

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy” (James 1:2)

Trials…joy.

Hmmm.

Consider trials nothing but joy?

Hmmm.

Either the writer has a different understanding of trials or a different understanding of joy than the typical American.

Joy doesn’t mean only a happy feeling. It certainly can include feeling happy but it means so much more. Joy has to do with a change in reality and understanding. The key word in our verse is “consider.” The Greek word is hegeomai. The word literally means “to lead the way,” “to think,” “to consider.” What this verb means is to lead the way by thinking this way; or, in other words, consider.

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, lead the way by thinking and considering trials as nothing but joy.”

• Even though trials don’t feel good, even though you don’t feel like it, even though it hurts, even though it is difficult…lead the way by thinking and considering trials as nothing but joy.
• This isn’t about what one feels. This is about a deliberate act and a decision. It’s about choosing to see trials as joy.

James tells us in the verses that follow the reason why we are to consider trials as nothing but joy. “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, lead the way by thinking and considering trials as nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Consider trials as nothing but joy because of the fruit suffering and overcoming trials produces: maturity, being complete, lacking in nothing.

This is not joy because there is no suffering and trials. This is a joy in spite of the suffering and trials because of what God is doing in us through them.

God is not asking us to enjoy or feel good when enduring trials. God is asking us to choose to be joyful because we know that God is at work in us to mature and perfect us so that we are lacking in nothing. That is good work. That’s worth rejoicing about!