We’re destined for an indescribable glory our souls know all too well. But our daily experiences seem far from this reality. And so we find ourselves groaning as we wait eagerly for our future glory to be revealed and the restoration of all good things.
To be sure, time passes too quickly and doesn’t allow us to linger in precious seasons for long. Suffering, discord, and grief never seem too far away. And death mocks us at every turn.
We don’t have to look too far to remember we’re not in Eden. Many things in this life are not as they should be. But this is not a point of despair, as we live in hope for all the good God has promised to us. All the same, we don’t hope for things we already have. And so we groan and wait as we look forward to that coming day when everything is finally set right as it should be.
To groan is to actively cry out as we experience the pain and suffering of this world. No one expects a woman in labor to remain silent. And nor should we as we wrestle through the hard realities of this life. This might be experienced as anger, heartache, or disappointment. Whatever it looks like, it’s simply affirming we don’t yet live in the full reality our souls were created for.
While true, we must also wait patiently and with confidence. Groaning without this patience quickly turns into bitterness and despair. Perhaps we become controlling and seek to build for ourselves a false Eden. Or we give up altogether – indulging in shallow pleasures and merely drifting through life without meaning, purpose, or heart.
In the end, groaning and waiting allows us to acknowledge the difficulties of this present moment without giving up hope. Things are not as they should be, but we’re moving toward a future glory beyond compare.
Photo by Robin Canfield on Unsplash
