Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5
My sorority just started a new Bible study called Looking for Lovely by Annie F. Downs. The entire study is about looking for lovely (opening our eyes to God’s fingerprints all around us) and using those moments to fuel us when times get tough. The first week was focused on the above verses. Annie explains that perseverance through suffering leads to hope.
suffering -> perseverance -> character -> hope
When asked what we think of when we hear perseverance, I thought of the obvious- Perseverance is about sticking with God no matter what your situation looks like. It’s like being steady.
For most of us, it is natural to praise God and be thankful when our lives are going extremely well- when something worked out perfectly, when we have received a special blessing, when life just seems to be right on track.
On the flip side, I know that hard times often push us towards God. It is during the tough times that we recognize our need for God the most, and that causes us to rely on Him even more than we normally do.
But what about when life is just.. normal? What about the times when work is a little stressful, responsibilities are time consuming, and we’re just ready for some relaxation? Life seems especially normal as I’m waiting for launch in August. For me, those are the times when it is the hardest to keep running the race toward Christ.
I have to persevere through the busyness of normal life. It’s all too easy to get caught up in my own little bubble of student teaching and finishing college and sorority life and fundraising and thank you notes. I can lose sight of the much bigger picture. I want to always be as thankful as I am during the good times and as dependent on God as I am during the tough times.
I want to encourage you to take a look at your own life and pray about the areas that you need to persevere through. I’m going to end this blog with a prayer I wrote during that study:
Father, lead me to seek You when I need to find peace from the crazy world around me. Help me to stop my busyness to remember who You are, what You have done, and what You are currently doing. Let your presence be my source of peace.
