Finding Patience Through Hope

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“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Romans 12:12 (ESV)

Imagine standing in line at the grocery store while your friend is waiting out in the car. The person in front of you pulls out ten coupons and it takes her three minutes to get them organized. Her baby is screaming and the lady behind the counter is a new cashier who doesn’t know how to work the machine.

In moments like this, we decide whether we will show frustration or patience to our troubling neighbors.

Those moments happen more than we may think – from using un-spreadable butter to waiting for hours to see a doctor. According to the Word, hope and patience go hand-in-hand. Romans 12:12 says to rejoice in hope and be patient in tribulation. Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (ESV)

Often times we try to combat impatience with deep breaths and reassurance that we will make it to our next event on time, but how often do we fight impatience with hope?

[ How often do we fight impatience with hope? ]

 

Hope is a feeling of trust that we experience in difficult times as we look forward to a brighter future. It may be a dream, goal, desire, or aspiration. To put our hope in God means we are trusting in the blessings He has planned for our futures, and looking forward to them.

The next time we feel impatient, maybe instead of doing breathing exercises, we should focus our mind on the hope that the Lord offers us as Christians. The hope of what truly matters – a lifetime and eternity spent with Him. If we truly rejoice in that hope, God will bless us with an overwhelming peace.

The last portion of Romans 12:12, “be constant in prayer” will make it all possible. Unless we are in constant communication with our Father, we will find it too difficult to resist listening to evil. Pray to Him about hope. Joyfully thank Him for the hope he has given you as a Christian, and dwell in the peace He gives you to overcome impatience.

 

Written by Kelly Reed. Kelly is a senior Strategic Communications major with a focus in Public Relations. She is the President of IWU PRSSA and hopes to work as a communications director of a nonprofit organization after graduation. She loves to tell people’s stories through written word, artwork, speech and strategy. Visit Kelly’s personal website and blog at www.kellyreed.weebly.com.

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