S135P5 – The promise of hope: eager perseverance
Rom. 8:23-25
Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
For many of us, waiting is not one of our greatest skills. For as long as I can remember, I have not been the best at waiting for something I knew was on the horizon. The thing is, there are different ways to wait. Specifically when speaking about deliverance from this world and its imperfection, it can be difficult to wait faithfully. Some will wait in anger as their hope seems further away daily. Others will wait in doubt as the difficulties of life distract and overwhelm them. Still others will give up waiting on this hope altogether because it just seems too far-fetched. However, the fact that we have yet to see and reach that for which we hope really should motivate us to wait correctly.
Paul tells us that we should be waiting eagerly and with perseverance. The vision of what we have up ahead, of what we have not yet seen, should light a fire in us. Instead of causing us to grumble when another day passes without getting there, the passage of another day should excite us at being one day closer. This is a matter of perspective founded in truth. We can huff and puff because Jesus still has not returned for us, which is natural frustration at waiting. Or, we can understand that He will come no matter how long it takes, and we can resolve ourselves to be no less hopeful today than we ever were. This inner groaning for redemption should be moving us in the direction of excitement at his return, not discourage at his delay.
The test of waiting can be experienced in a whole host of contexts. Jesus himself gives us instruction on what it is like to wait faithfully for him. [Lk. 12: 35-48] This eager perseverance is about preparedness and about faith that defies the world’s logic. In fact, we can expect to encounter people today who will scoff at us and challenge us as we wait for Christ to return. [2 Pet. 3: 1-9] This waiting is a challenge from within and from without, but with eager perseverance we can wait faithfully in the way we think, believe and act during this time. Father, help us to wait eagerly for the consummation of our hope and to persevere through the challenges to our faith.