By: Grace Metzger
affliction, be persistent in prayer.
I have always loved this verse in Romans. It's almost like an instruction manual on how to walk with God. Rejoicing in hope, patient throughout affliction, and persistence in prayer can completely change how you viewing your situation.
While it is a lovely verse, that doesn't mean it's easy. Being patient in affliction is probably one of the hardest things you can do. One of the definitions of affliction is great suffering or a cause of persistent pain or distress. I don't know about you, but that does not sound like a fun time to me. But God is calling us not only go through this but remain patient and in prayer.
Again it's easy to convince yourself that you can do that, but actually putting it in practice isn't a walk in the park. Yet, this is still what God calls us to do. This just isn't in one verse, but it is mentioned several times in the Bible.
whenever you experience various trails.
This verse even goes as far as to call it a great joy! I think back to difficult times in my life. I don't know if I considered it a great joy to experience those moments at the time. But I also get to look back and see everything I learned, gained, or experienced because of those difficult times.
done God's will, you may receive what was promised.
What was promised to us? So many things! The biggest one that comes to my mind is Heaven, but there is also peace, wisdom, joy, love, etc. We can gain so much because we followed God's will even when it required some endurance.
So how are we supposed to wait while in afflictions? The answer was in Romans 12:12! We need to rejoice in hope; hope in God's will and hope in God's love for us. That's not it though! We also need to remain persistent in our prayers. These two things can change how your situation affects you. So if you're currently going through a difficult situation, remember how Romans 12:12 tells us to handle it, with rejoicing, prayer, and patience!
Discussion Questions:
1.) What do you do to deal an inpatient heart?
2.) What situation have you dealt with that made it difficult to handle with patience?
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