drbillduvall.com

Of all the attributes where Christians should have a corner on the market, Hope outstrips them all. We have story after story throughout our Holy Scriptures demonstrating God coming through for His people in what appear to be impossible circumstances, proving Himself exceedingly worthy of hope. He makes a way through the Red Sea. He gives the Hebrews victory as Moses raises His hands in prayer. He crumbles the insurmountable walls of Jericho. He grants victory to Gideon’s few. He tames the heat and flame of the fiery furnace. He closes the mouths of lions.

He conquers sin and death.

And yet, when we are in the midst of trials of our own, it is so easy to lose sight of the Savior, instead focusing only on that which causes the need to be saved. It is at this point that we could do with some history lessons. That is exactly what Paul prescribes in Romans 5.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)

Over the past few weeks, we have walked through the topics of anxiety, prayer, faith, and endurance as we process the building of resilience. In this passage, we find faith, perseverance, and hope linked. Faith is the foundation upon which all else is built. As we believe, so we will go. Through that belief, we enter into God’s grace, which allows us to endure in the trials of life, which God uses to build us up. Let’s take a quick look at the progression Paul describes.

Suffering produces perseverance (endurance).
Perseverance produces character.
Character produces hope.

I wonder if this is how we would see the progression if it wasn’t spelled out for us in Scripture. Suffering to perseverance? Sure. That one just makes sense. Perseverance to hope? I think that one makes sense to us as well. As we persevere we can reflect on historically coming through other things and how God pulled us (and others) through those events, and it further builds hope. But according to Paul, that’s not the entire formula for the building of hope. The question becomes, Why isn’t it?

When we have story after story demonstrating God’s faithfulness, thus laying the foundation for our hope, why does character enter the picture? Why can’t we just rely on the truths of who God is and what He has done for us? Why can’t we simply look to, as the song says, “Jesus Christ, our living hope” and have that be enough. Why character?

Character is included because God requires something of us in the exchange. He created us. Nobody knows human nature and how we function best better than Him, and according to His word if we are going to actually grow in terms of hope, then we need to develop character founded upon real experiences that require us to push through and endure. At that point, we no longer endure persevere with the aid of Scripture’s ancient stories. Now we endure because God has met us in our stories, and as we remain steadfast in our reality, then we own it. In other words, our response matters as much as God’s does. The difference is that God’s response is dependable and ours tends to fluctuate. When He said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,” He meant it.

We tend to have a learning curve. But, with repeated exposure to the troubles Jesus promised we’d have, we can grow. We have the opportunity to start getting it right and keep getting it right. When we choose to focus on Jesus in the middle of those circumstances rather than just seeing the trial, we find what we need to overcome. We develop character, and it builds hope, which becomes part of who we are and reinforces our character.