Conclusion
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12 NIVUK
I have a friend who was in a bad work situation when lockdown struck. It was even worse when he had to work from home. The situation made him frustrated, angry and hurt. It made him feel even more isolated because he wasn't in the office and couldn't read the facial expressions of his boss or colleagues to properly gauge their reactions.
It affected his spiritual life. He openly admitted to me that he was struggling.
I shared with him over several text messages that I had ran to the Word of God and to prayer to help me become stronger. As David says:
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
Psalms 119:114 NIVUK
I shared some of what God had been telling me, like one beggar telling another where to find bread.
He decided to do the same. It wasn't easy. It never is. We often feel ashamed and wonder if God will accept us again if we haven't spent time with Him for a while, especially if we know our reaction to our situation is not the best it could be. But that self-condemnation is a nonsense and a demonic lie. Of course God will have us back!
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 NIVUK
My friend denied the lie, came back to his times with God in prayer and Bible reading and gradually he became stronger. He applied for a new job with a better situation, right at the height of the pandemic, when many would say it would be crazy to try something like that, and he got it. He is now in a much better position and is no longer angry or frustrated or hurt.
His life began to change when he committed himself again to prayer.
But why? Because prayer gave him the strength to be patient and persevere through his affliction. Although his situation at work was bad, his faith and trust in God brought him joy and resilience, which came from renewed hope that God could and would change his situation, even though it looked impossible.
And God did.
I'm not saying this will happen to everyone. However, what I am saying is that this pandemic has taught us that we are very much not in control of a lot of things. What we are in control of is how we react. We can try to react to situations in ways that help us, not in ways that harm us. Our reactions don't need to be driven by 'reflex' or programming or past experiences. We are not robots. We can change.
In this little verse we see the secret to resilience. The biggest revelation here for any of us is that it doesn't lie with God. So if we react badly in a bad situation, wagging our finger and blaming Him won't help one bit and will be completely incorrect. He is not to blame for our bad reactions. We are. Because we choose them.
If we want to get this right, we need to learn the lessons both my friend I learned. It is possible to be joyful in hope: when, on the surface, we lack something, but we know that in Christ we have all we need. It is possible to be patient in affliction and to persevere through it. But only when we are faithful and committed in prayer.
When David was facing one of the most testing and trying times of his life, we see these words:
But David found strength in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 30:6 NIVUK
May we all find strength in the Lord our God.
My friends, be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.
And may we shine like lights in the darkest of skies with the divine resilience of those who truly trust in God
Very true Paul. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in times of trouble.