24 We were saved in hope. If we see what we hope for, that isn’t hope. Who hopes for what they already see? 25 But if we hope for what we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.
Reflection
It’s possible you’ve heard these words from Paul the Apostle before, and for good reason – they’re quite beautiful! “We were saved in hope.” Our forgiveness from our sins, our very salvation was offered to us by God through the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It saved us, but not because we had done something right, quite the opposite really, but because God believes in us. God has hope that we can be who we have been created and called to be. That doesn’t mean we always get it right, but that God has hope that it’s possible that we can get it right. That’s no small thing.
Though we had not, have not, and could never really prove that we deserve something as divine as God’s grace – God acted anyway and has remained diligently with us as we stumble through hopefully becoming better people each and every day; people who love one another and who turn to God for guidance. As images of God, we can follow God’s example. We can be patient with ourselves and others as we all navigate our way through the messy chaos that is life. We can have hope for what and who we are capable of being, without expecting everyone around us to get there right this second. God has been patient with us, far longer then we deserved. Maybe it’s time we return the favor.
By Rachel Callender
For Pondering & Prayer
The saying is definitely true: patience truly is a virtue. In doing some self reflection, can you identify some areas where you may be good at being patient or are bad at being patient? Are there certain people that you’re more patient with than others? Why is that? Are you more or less patient with yourself than you are with others? Have you ever felt impatient with God?
Prayer: Patient Lord, how wonderful life would be if we could gleam just a speck of your abundant patience for us. Thank you for believing in us, even when we least deserved it. May the patience we exude be a reflection of your love for the world. Amen.
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