JOYFUL IN HOPE

“REJOICING in HOPE, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” – Romans 12:12

GOD’S WORD encourages Believers to be JOYFUL IN HOPE: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; REJOICING in HOPE, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Rom.12: 10-12). The New International Version says, “BE JOYFUL in HOPE, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (v.12). Pal continued to describe our lives in Christ in a series of related short commands. The three commands in this verse are key to the emotional and spiritual well-being of very Christian: rejoice in Hope; be patient in tribulation; and be constant in prayer.

In Romans 12, Paul contrasts the positivity of choosing faith with the negativity of conforming to the fallen world. He urged us to offer ourselves completely to God and renew our minds, so we can discover and fulfil His will for our lives. When we choose to be joyful in hope and take action in the other ways he describes, God’s love flows through our lives in ways that can bring much-needed positive change to our world. It can seem hard to find and hold onto Hope when we’re facing difficult circumstances. But the process of finding Hope and staying hopeful can be easier when we take a joyful approach to Hope. We should know Him and what it means to “be joyful in hope”!

Being joyful in hope means choosing positive expectation in every situation; trusting God because we’re confident that our hope in Him is real. While we don’t yet see what will happen in the future, we can hope for the best, and be confident that God will do what’s best for us as we trust Him. No matter what circumstances we encounter in this fallen world, we can experience joy in hope, because joy is based on our relationship with the God who offers us Hope. Happiness comes and goes as circumstances change. JOY, however, is much more reliable. God makes it possible for us to experience Joy in any circumstance, even in the most difficult situations we go through.

Along with being joyful in hope, Paul also urges us to be patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. All three actions work together to strengthen our relationships with God. Choosing those actions shows that we’re turning our attention beyond our circumstances to God, who has the power to use those situations for good purposes: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom.8:28). The Lord will help us with whatever we need along the journeys of faith.

Three Ways we can be Joyful in Hope are as follows:

Expect the best. Rather than worrying about the worst that can happen, we can expect God to bring us the best. Let’s take God at His Word and believe that He plans the best for us. We can stop wasting time and energy worrying about worst-case scenarios, but we can pray about future concerns and ask God to intervene in those situations.

Pray regularly. Communicating with God through prayer is an essential way to access both Hope and Joy. We can be empowered to embrace Joy in God’s Presence: “You will show me the path of life; IN Your Presence is FULLNESS of JOY; and your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psa..116:11). So, rather than pursuing happiness and being disappointed when circumstances don’t support it, we can pursue Joy through prayer and count on finding it in God’s presence.

Look forward to learning as the future unfolds. Day by day, we can choose to look forward to what God will do in our lives and what we can learn from those possibilities. We can experience more joy by expressing our curiosity in hopeful ways. We can see every day as a new adventure to enjoy with God. We can look forward to the limitless wonder of what God will make possible for us (Eph.2:10).