HOPE · A REFLECTION
Growing pains, lasting hope.
A reflection on Romans 5:1–5, the peace we have in Christ, and the hope that grows through hardship.
Listen here, then read the companion reflection below.
When one disappointment follows another, it's easy to wonder what you've done wrong. Romans 5:1–5 meets that question with an assurance: through Jesus Christ, we have peace with God, even while life hurts.
You may know that and still feel overwhelmed. You want relief. You want to understand why something you prayed about so earnestly has become so difficult. Faith gives us somewhere to bring those questions.
Before Paul describes what suffering can produce in us, he reminds us where we stand. We have been justified by faith. We have access to God's grace. Hardship has not undone what Christ has done for us.
Peace with God in Romans 5:1–5
Read these words from Romans 5:1–5 slowly:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
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.
Romans 5:1–5 · ESV
Paul begins with our relationship with God. Through Christ, we have been brought near to Him. We don't have to earn our way back into His care every time we struggle. That peace gives us room to admit that we're frightened or tired without treating those feelings as proof that God has abandoned us.
How suffering produces endurance, character, and hope
Paul describes a progression: suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. That growth takes time. We rarely see all of it while we're trying to get through the day.
You may be learning to pray honestly because you no longer have the energy to pretend. You may be learning to accept help, to wait, or to keep trusting God when you can't see what He is doing. Those changes matter, even when the circumstances haven't changed yet.
Yet the hope Paul describes rests on more than our ability to persevere. Verse 5 points to God's love, poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Our confidence rests in the One who loves us.
We can rejoice in what God is doing and still admit that this hurts. In Romans 8:28, Paul assures us that God works for the good of those who love Him. That promise gives us a reason to keep bringing our lives to Him, including the parts we wish were different.
Trusting God when you're tired
If you're tired today, you don't have to make your struggle sound inspiring. Tell God what is weighing on you. Ask for the strength you need for today. Let someone who loves you know how you're really doing.
My hope is that you leave this passage remembering the grace in which you stand. Christ has brought you near to God. You can lean on Him while you wait, while you grieve, and while you learn how to move forward.
Whatever this season is asking of you, you don't have to face it without Him. If you need another reminder of that hope, spend some time with Psalm 30 and the promise of joy after sorrow.