Sustaining the progress

How do we keep progressing while we are battling with challenges, which seems to be life debilitating and the struggle seems to be endless? In such situations we seem to be hopeful one day and filled with utter despair the next day. This rakes up an array of emotions. We don't see things getting any better or the trouble seems to be moving at a slower pace than expected.  Our spiritual life also takes a toll like waves bellowing up and down and you feel miserable about it.

Sometimes we have something to hold on too while we go through hard times, but most of the time we may find ourself left alone with no one around us to offer a helping hand. Each one of us cling on to the Bible promises and plead to God to help us get out of the stalemate only to realize that the long duration of trouble is slowly obliterating any hope one has on God.

Before I unfold on how to keep moving steadily let this undefendable fact sink deep in us.  "God absolutely is! Let us believe and cherish this. God is. It is a wildly untamable, explosively uncontainable, electrically future-creating reality—that God is.". John Piper In 'Astonished by God'.

God takes each one of us through different challenging experiences. There is no singled out mantra or principle to follow in order to witness the deliverance. Apostle Paul in the book of Romans 12:9-21 puts down an amazing set of Christian ethics to keep moving while we are in this journey. Especially one verse that stands out is the key to unlocking the providence of God. "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer." Romans 12:12 CSB. It is so simple yet profound. Let us try to understand this verse.

The first thing we are expected to do is "Rejoice in hope" this is the only thing  left while we are in crisis. We will be hoping for a way out. Either be doomed in our situation or rejoice in the hope to receive good from the Lord. In Corinthians it says "So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.". 2 Corinthians 4:18 CSB. Its wise to shift our focus on the unseen, rejoice in hope, which will help spear us forward.

"Be patient in affliction". When we are hurt or if we are suffering, we are supposed to endure the affliction and learn to cope up in order to be helped better and not broken too early. We are therefore advised to be patient while we suffer yet rejoicing in the hope because the goodness of the Lord is plenty when we look unto Him for rescue. The Bible says "My grace will be sufficient for you" (2 Cor 12:9) It will  definitely sustain us so that we are not crushed to despair and death. 

Finally, "be persistent in prayer”. Paul to Philippians says "Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6 CSB. God already knows what we are going through but however we need to keep informing Him of the same. Don't lose hope my brothers and sisters. Persistence is the key. God is too generous to allow us to go through misery and breakdown. He is preparing us to operate dynamically from a new dimension. We can't afford to quit. Romans 15:13 CSB "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.".

Stay Blessed,

David Raj