December 2 - Romans 5:3-5

Life is full of many different experiences. Certain moments elicit pure, unburdened joy. Conversely, there are moments that rock us to our very core. For some, it could be a bad grade or work issues. For others, it could be an unexpected death or an illness. Whatever our circumstances, we may be struggling to find hope during the Advent season.

In the book of Romans, Paul was addressing the church in Rome via letter. Christians were facing trials as they strove to live out their faith in a pagan society that did not share their beliefs. In response, Paul shared the following words in Romans 5:3-5: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Paul highlights the importance of suffering here. It is not meaningless. The believers in Rome were being reminded that their persecution was not in vain. Instead, they were being strengthened through it and developing godly traits, such as endurance, character, and hope. Most of us are not fighting the same battles as those faced by the church in Rome. God gives us different challenges meant to build endurance, character, and hope. Regardless of our circumstances, though, we can know that God is with us as we march towards a future filled with hope in Him.