Just Be
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 NIV
Today is 12/12 and so I was meditating on some of the 12:12's in the Bible this morning. I landed on Romans and as I listened to what Father had to say I couldn't help but smile and try to get my brain and my heart wrapped all around it. I kept hearing the words "just be". So I examined and explored why that was important according to this verse.
The word "be" as it is used in this verse is technically classified as a present subjunctive verb. That means it is something that is currently happening - present - and that it is an action - verb - but it is a contingent (possible but uncertain) state - subjunctive. The way Paul wrote this sentence is not typical of how we might talk to each other today. We don't tell people to "be" (unless we are Bill Murray in Caddyshack but that's a whole different blog!), but instead we tell them to "do" or "say" or "think" in some way. So why would Paul as God's penman tell the Romans and us to "be" these three things in a way that speaks of action that is contingent? Does any of this make sense? It didn't to me so I skipped over the word "be" and moved on to the three things I was supposed to be being.
Joyful in hope is the first thing. Hope is good but I have no control over what I'm hoping for because if I do, then it isn't hope any more but a plan or a goal to be achieved. And if what I'm hoping for doesn't come to pass I find myself despairing instead of joyful. So how do I "be" joyful in hope? What do I have to do? Put on a happy face even though my heart is crying because what it hopes for seems so far away? Is that being joyful?
Patient in affliction is next. Affliction is not so good. It means someone or something is inflicting pain and torment on me so how in the world can I be patient in the middle of it? I don't deserve it and I didn't ask for it and I can't make it stop! What do I have to do to be patient in affliction? Go to my happy place for a mental retreat and try to forget about the pain? Is that being patient?
Last is faithful in prayer. I can pray. Prayer is something I can do. It is words I can say, sing, think, and write and I can pray anytime, anywhere. But I have no control over the answers and outcomes. I am simply making my requests known and sometimes I don't see or experience answers or responses and I get discouraged and lose my happy face. And sometimes I get distracted while visiting my happy place. And so I stop praying. Is that being faithful?
Well, what I see is that I can't be joyful and I can't be patient and I can't be faithful. And trying will simply wear me out. As a human BEing (one who is currently present in a state of being in a contingent world), I am incapable of being what Paul says I am supposed to be. But I also see that joy, patience and faithfulness are part of the fruit of the Spirit as Paul explains in Galatians 5. He says that we are to live by the Spirit and be led by the Spirit and that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. And in II Corinthians 1 and 5 Paul says that if we BElong to God, we are in Christ, and He has placed Spirit inside of us. And that is not contingent but certain. So I don't have to be joyful or patient or faithful. I just let Him do it in me and through me as I surrender my human beingness to His amazing Spirit. I lay hold of the fact that I BElong to Him and I surrender - throw up my hands - rest all that I am in all that He is - and "just be". Whew! What a relief!
Hebrews 12 tells me that the hope Jesus had at the cross gave Him joy so I know that if I surrender my despair to Him, that He can be joyful in me. He's done it before. I can trust Him to do it again. All I have to do is "just be". And I will experience His joy in hope. Revelation 1 tells me that I am a sibling and companion in the patient endurance of Jesus. So if I need patience in times of affliction, I can look to Him as my brother and friend and trust Him to patiently endure in me. He is very good at it. All I have to do is "just be". And I will experience His patience in affliction. II Timothy says if we are faithless, He will remain faithful. So when I get discouraged or distracted I can surrender my prayers to Him and know that He will keep on petitioning on my behalf. And Romans 8 says He intercedes for me in God's will. All I have to do is "just be". And I will experience His faithfulness in prayer. I belong to Him so I am in Him and can let Him do what He does and be who He is in me. And I will experience a state of being fully present in the certainty of Christ.
I belong. So I can "just be".
Amy
Today is 12/12 and so I was meditating on some of the 12:12's in the Bible this morning. I landed on Romans and as I listened to what Father had to say I couldn't help but smile and try to get my brain and my heart wrapped all around it. I kept hearing the words "just be". So I examined and explored why that was important according to this verse.
The word "be" as it is used in this verse is technically classified as a present subjunctive verb. That means it is something that is currently happening - present - and that it is an action - verb - but it is a contingent (possible but uncertain) state - subjunctive. The way Paul wrote this sentence is not typical of how we might talk to each other today. We don't tell people to "be" (unless we are Bill Murray in Caddyshack but that's a whole different blog!), but instead we tell them to "do" or "say" or "think" in some way. So why would Paul as God's penman tell the Romans and us to "be" these three things in a way that speaks of action that is contingent? Does any of this make sense? It didn't to me so I skipped over the word "be" and moved on to the three things I was supposed to be being.
Joyful in hope is the first thing. Hope is good but I have no control over what I'm hoping for because if I do, then it isn't hope any more but a plan or a goal to be achieved. And if what I'm hoping for doesn't come to pass I find myself despairing instead of joyful. So how do I "be" joyful in hope? What do I have to do? Put on a happy face even though my heart is crying because what it hopes for seems so far away? Is that being joyful?
Patient in affliction is next. Affliction is not so good. It means someone or something is inflicting pain and torment on me so how in the world can I be patient in the middle of it? I don't deserve it and I didn't ask for it and I can't make it stop! What do I have to do to be patient in affliction? Go to my happy place for a mental retreat and try to forget about the pain? Is that being patient?
Last is faithful in prayer. I can pray. Prayer is something I can do. It is words I can say, sing, think, and write and I can pray anytime, anywhere. But I have no control over the answers and outcomes. I am simply making my requests known and sometimes I don't see or experience answers or responses and I get discouraged and lose my happy face. And sometimes I get distracted while visiting my happy place. And so I stop praying. Is that being faithful?
Well, what I see is that I can't be joyful and I can't be patient and I can't be faithful. And trying will simply wear me out. As a human BEing (one who is currently present in a state of being in a contingent world), I am incapable of being what Paul says I am supposed to be. But I also see that joy, patience and faithfulness are part of the fruit of the Spirit as Paul explains in Galatians 5. He says that we are to live by the Spirit and be led by the Spirit and that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. And in II Corinthians 1 and 5 Paul says that if we BElong to God, we are in Christ, and He has placed Spirit inside of us. And that is not contingent but certain. So I don't have to be joyful or patient or faithful. I just let Him do it in me and through me as I surrender my human beingness to His amazing Spirit. I lay hold of the fact that I BElong to Him and I surrender - throw up my hands - rest all that I am in all that He is - and "just be". Whew! What a relief!
Hebrews 12 tells me that the hope Jesus had at the cross gave Him joy so I know that if I surrender my despair to Him, that He can be joyful in me. He's done it before. I can trust Him to do it again. All I have to do is "just be". And I will experience His joy in hope. Revelation 1 tells me that I am a sibling and companion in the patient endurance of Jesus. So if I need patience in times of affliction, I can look to Him as my brother and friend and trust Him to patiently endure in me. He is very good at it. All I have to do is "just be". And I will experience His patience in affliction. II Timothy says if we are faithless, He will remain faithful. So when I get discouraged or distracted I can surrender my prayers to Him and know that He will keep on petitioning on my behalf. And Romans 8 says He intercedes for me in God's will. All I have to do is "just be". And I will experience His faithfulness in prayer. I belong to Him so I am in Him and can let Him do what He does and be who He is in me. And I will experience a state of being fully present in the certainty of Christ.
I belong. So I can "just be".
Amy
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