Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:12-13)
Déjà vu. Yesterday, I wrote
about looking forward to good with an attitude or rest because you know that
God cares and not only can but will bring about that good even if you don’t see
it now or understand how. The next gift is patience in affliction. Patience isn’t
waiting in line without killing someone. When I studied the fruit of the Spirit
years ago, I learned that patience is choosing to give up godhood in your
relationship with others. You no longer seek to be in control. This doesn’t
mean that you give up seeking what’s best for the others. It doesn’t mean
saying that what is right doesn’t matter or giving up your principles. It’s
more a care of giving others time to reach your conclusion. Piece of cake,
right?
Add to that the second half of that sentence. Do that while you’re in pain or under pressure. Your whole world has narrowed down to the tiny reality of what is happening to you, and Paul suggests that you should let go of control, give others time, and relax. Sure Paul, but you’re not squinting through one eye. (The other doesn’t hurt, but it doesn’t want to stay open.) No, Paul wasn’t squinting through one eye, but his vision might have at least as bad as mine without correction, and I seem to recall once when people dragged him out of a city and stoned him. He got up and went back into the cit/y. Patience at any time is a gift, under pressure, it’s a godsend.
One of the means to patience in affliction is faithfulness in prayer. As I consider this idea this morning, I wonder what this one means, too. One idea is that we keep praying even when we’re not seeing the answer, even when we have no hope. No matter what, we keep on praying. The other idea is that within prayer, whether singular or ongoing, we believe God can and will answer. I don’t think Paul is talking about one or the other, but both. Faith is a gift within the single prayer when you trust, and faith is a gift when it is part of a long campaign of prayer.
Another gift to consider: something to share with those who are in need. This is a reason that we are blessed by the poor. They give us a chance to share. They are a gift to us. Likewise, the wealthy are gifts and blessings to the poor, because the wealthy give the poor a chance to learn the humility of receiving. I could go off on a tangent about the fact that Paul is calling on people to voluntarily share with the poor. He does not direct the government or even the Church to take from the rich and distribute the money as it sees fit, but I don’t think that’s really the point here. Instead, I think back to when I worked for the county, and giving money was a joy. During that time, God gave me the gift to pay my church’s electric bill. Well, I thought I was, then I learned how much electric bills for businesses and organizations can be and I had to settle for paying part of it. It was a joy to contribute to my community in that way. Now I can’t do that, and I need to change my perspective about contributing to my community, and find different ways to do it.
The last of the gifts is also a challenge for me. Practicing hospitality is a people-oriented thing, and I’m not good at people-oriented things. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a home in which I feel comfortable entertaining guests for a number of reasons. I used to think I was a Martha, that I could only be hospitable from behind the scenes, but this morning, I wonder whether the key is more in my task being well-defined. When I know what I’m supposed to do, it’s less overwhelming than just “be hospitable.” Something to think about.
Add to that the second half of that sentence. Do that while you’re in pain or under pressure. Your whole world has narrowed down to the tiny reality of what is happening to you, and Paul suggests that you should let go of control, give others time, and relax. Sure Paul, but you’re not squinting through one eye. (The other doesn’t hurt, but it doesn’t want to stay open.) No, Paul wasn’t squinting through one eye, but his vision might have at least as bad as mine without correction, and I seem to recall once when people dragged him out of a city and stoned him. He got up and went back into the cit/y. Patience at any time is a gift, under pressure, it’s a godsend.
One of the means to patience in affliction is faithfulness in prayer. As I consider this idea this morning, I wonder what this one means, too. One idea is that we keep praying even when we’re not seeing the answer, even when we have no hope. No matter what, we keep on praying. The other idea is that within prayer, whether singular or ongoing, we believe God can and will answer. I don’t think Paul is talking about one or the other, but both. Faith is a gift within the single prayer when you trust, and faith is a gift when it is part of a long campaign of prayer.
Another gift to consider: something to share with those who are in need. This is a reason that we are blessed by the poor. They give us a chance to share. They are a gift to us. Likewise, the wealthy are gifts and blessings to the poor, because the wealthy give the poor a chance to learn the humility of receiving. I could go off on a tangent about the fact that Paul is calling on people to voluntarily share with the poor. He does not direct the government or even the Church to take from the rich and distribute the money as it sees fit, but I don’t think that’s really the point here. Instead, I think back to when I worked for the county, and giving money was a joy. During that time, God gave me the gift to pay my church’s electric bill. Well, I thought I was, then I learned how much electric bills for businesses and organizations can be and I had to settle for paying part of it. It was a joy to contribute to my community in that way. Now I can’t do that, and I need to change my perspective about contributing to my community, and find different ways to do it.
The last of the gifts is also a challenge for me. Practicing hospitality is a people-oriented thing, and I’m not good at people-oriented things. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a home in which I feel comfortable entertaining guests for a number of reasons. I used to think I was a Martha, that I could only be hospitable from behind the scenes, but this morning, I wonder whether the key is more in my task being well-defined. When I know what I’m supposed to do, it’s less overwhelming than just “be hospitable.” Something to think about.
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