“Not What I Ordered”

Be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

─ Romans 12:11-12 ESV

“You’d think by now I would have learned to check the order before we pull away from the drive through window,” Patty complained to her husband. “This is NOT what I ordered!” She exclaimed. They were on another weekend road trip, the third one this month since her mother had gotten sick.

Knowing she wouldn’t want to go back, he politely asked anyway, “You want me to turn around?”

“No,” she said, suddenly laughing. “It just a comical picture of my life right now. My life isn’t what I ordered either, but I’m not giving up; I not turning around!”

Sometimes the essence of faith is pressing through in the hard times. The Apostle Paul’s wise counsel in Romans 12 encourages us to hold firm to our faith. Because Christ lives in us, we can persevere through the hard times, be patient during trials, remain prayerful and rejoice as we serve the Lord through the difficulty.

When you’re pressured to drop where you’re at and give up, remember Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Because of Christ in you, you can rise up and by faith, press on.

Today’s One Thing

No matter what you’re facing today, you have everything you need to come through the difficulty. Follow Apostle Paul’s advice today to keep moving forward.

• Be fervent in spirit.
• Serve the Lord by asking what He would have you do.
• Rejoice in hope.
• Be patient in tribulation.
• Remain constant in prayer.

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