When Life is Lifing....

As humans, we often become so focused on the struggles we are facing and everything we are going through in the present moment. We can spend too much time sitting in a difficult season, focusing on all the negative things it has brought so far, that we begin to wonder, “What more could possibly go wrong?” But Romans 12:12 reminds us of three things we should do when life is lifing around us. 1. Rejoice in hope To rejoice in hope is to find gladness and confidence in knowing that God will fulfil His promises. If we know what God has promised us and trust what He has in store for us, then we should learn to embrace the waiting season. We can wait joyfully and with hope, knowing that in His perfect timing, God will fulfil what He has promised. Sing a new song daily. Choose joy. Be grateful that you have been given another day and another season to look forward to what God can do in your life. James tells us to “consider it pure joy” when we face trials and tests. Our difficult seasons may not always feel joyful, but we can still choose to rejoice because we know who is with us in the middle of them. 2. Be patient in tribulation We have to learn to endure difficult seasons and trust that God has not abandoned us. Our suffering does not mean that we are too far from God or that He is absent from our lives. In fact, some of the most difficult seasons can become moments where we experience His presence, strength and faithfulness in ways we never have before. Being patient in tribulation means continuing to trust God even when we cannot see the outcome. It means holding on when everything around us tells us to give up. 3. Never stop praying We are called to be steadfast and devoted in prayer. Pray daily. Pray when things are going well, and pray when everything feels like it is falling apart. Thank God for the good, but also learn to thank Him in the difficult seasons. Thank Him for the strength He has given you. Thank Him for carrying you through the things you thought would break you. Thank Him that even in the midst of trials and tribulations, you are still standing. Prayer reminds us that we do not have to carry our seasons alone. Let us strive to live a Romans 12:12 life every day. Let us not become so focused on the season that we forget the God who is with us in it. Instead, let us rejoice in hope, remain patient in tribulation, and continue steadfastly in prayer. And when we look back one day, may we be able to say, “It was difficult, but God was with me. I did not understand it, but He carried me through it. I made it out because His grace sustained me.” Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Never stop praying. That is the Romans 12:12 life.