Skip to main content

Big Girl Pants

 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

As I look at the first part of this verse, the thought that comes to mind is that there are some people whose only joy in hope is in the revenge and the destruction of others. With Bea Arthur, they say, “God will get you for that,” and with others, they say, “Karma’s gonna get you” and what they don’t say but mean is that they will watch and smile.

But, that’s not the important idea to this passage. The important point is that what we are supposed to do in just about every situation is the opposite of what we are inclined to do. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years after they were promised an heir.

It’s easy to be joyful in hope, for a few minutes or a few days. It may even seem possible to be joyful if the thing we’ve hoped for is delayed, but not for long. But long times of joy in hope are what Scripture calls for. In Hebrews 11, many of those commended for their faith died without seeing the thing they were promised.

Similarly, when we are feeling attacked, overwhelmed, or pitiable, it’s not easy to be patient. We need help, and we need it now, and why can’t God do something helpful? We don’t want to think that way, but if God helped David and Joshua and so many others, and this is hard! But God calls us to be patient.

And finally, we’re told to be faithful in prayer. This one is especially hard for me. I don’t tend to remember when God had answered with a “yes.” I remember that He hasn’t answered the way I want Him to. Why bother to ask? But then I feel guilty, so I end up finding a safe prayer: “Thy will be done… wisdom, direction, and attitude,” because if I’m wise, if God is directing me, and especially if God fixes my attitude, then it won’t bother me that God doesn’t do what I want Him to. Do I keep praying, fervently praying? Or do I stop praying for important things and start praying for something safe? Or not stop praying?

These things we’re supposed to do are all hard things. As some would say, they are things that require that we put on the big girl (or big boy) pants and do what doesn’t come naturally.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more