Romans 5:3-4

NASB	NLT	VOICE
3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;	3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.	3 And that’s not all. We also celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer we develop endurance,
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;	4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.	4 which shapes our characters. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God’s goodness.

Persevering in Hope and Peace

Paul is discussing the hope and peace that we have through faith in Jesus. We’ll gain the most of our relationship with God if we use our beyond our first decision to follow him. One way we can do that is to celebrate our sufferings. It was as counter-cultural then as it feels today. The Greco-Roman world viewed suffering as a divine sign of displeasure. Biblically, suffering is viewed as a tool for spiritual growth.  The early Christians often faced persecution, and this mindset helped them to understand and endure hardships. Perseverance/endurance are interchangeable in this verse. Overall, it describes a process of development that leads us closer to being like Jesus. 

Understanding Our Happiness in the Hard Times

The joy in our suffering is not because of our circumstances. While we are in our seasons of suffering, we often never feel joy. We’re stressed, anxious, depressed, panicked, and more. God doesn’t cause us to feel this way. Our moments of suffering often arise from consequences of our actions. They can also result from consequences of others’ actions that affect us. Sometimes, it’s due to general happenstance or unfortunate luck. God meets us where we are in this moment. He walks with us to shield us from further disaster. He guides us through to the other side. The rejoicing happens when we move ahead through the chaos, and we ponder. We see how God was there. We think about how we can use what God taught us during that season of suffering. God reveals how the lessons we learned in that season are useful. They are part of the plans He has for us. 

Character Transformation through Christ

Perseverance is a form of endurance. We actively pursue it because of our commitment to God. This persists despite the chaos that we are in. Perseverance is linked to maturity and completeness through the testing of our faith. Character describes a tested and proven faithfulness to God. We develop our character as a confident expectation rooted in what we understand about God’s promises. Hope is tied to the assurance of our salvation and the future glory that Christians will share with Christ. The transformation from our character to hope shows our deep trust in God’s faithfulness. It reflects our effort to look to the future. 

Reacting to Challenges Shows our Future

True character is revealed and strengthened through challenges. How we overcome our stressful seasons sets us up for how our future is going to look. If we react with calmness, we can lead our next season with calmness. Positivity allows us to keep positive leadership. If we react with anger and anxiety, then we will lead our next season with anger and anxiety. I believe in this mindset from the perspective of a child. I have learned through my ministry work that children often learn by how we act, not by what we say. We learn to react to situations. We do not react to emotions. This helps our character grow into what God wants it to be. Our emotions are valid, but they are a result of our situation. They are not THE situation. The less we react to our emotions, especially our negative emotions, the more we learn to rely on God. This also isn’t to say that we are to avoid our emotions. We are allowed to feel them, but we do not want to stay there. We feel it, and we move ahead. We give it to God, and we get to step progress on the path he created for us. 

Reflection Questions

1. How do you react to stressful times? 
2. How have your difficult seasons led you to rejoice?
3. Think about your previous difficult seasons. Do you believe that it led you to more or less Christ-like?

Call to Action

Review today’s passage. Reflect on a recent stressor and see if you can find the path of perseverance to character to hope in it. Pray with God to help you see how He was present during that journey.

Next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #277