The Paradigm Shift We Need

Stand. Wait. Persevere

How do we approach these seasons of our life?

What are the initial feelings when we hear these words?

What if we were to have a paradigm shift - a fundamental change in approach (normal pattern of behaviour or thinking) our underlying assumptions about the seasons we find ourselves in and our perceptions of God’s love and purpose toward us.

Paul (who knew his fair share of tribulation and discomfort) challenges our understanding of God’s purpose toward us and victoriously declares our position in Christ.

Romans 5:1–5 NKJV

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

WHAT PAUL IS SAYING…

We are justified = we HAVE BEEN declared righteous by faith, not on performance or what we can do.

We have peace with God = not feelings-based, not an EMOTIONAL STATE, but a STANDING —no more hostility, condemnation, or alienation.

You don’t need to strive for God’s approval—Christ has already secured peace.

That tackles thoughts of anxiety, guilt, or performance-based Christianity.

We have obtained access into this Grace in which we stand = (Gk: prosagōgē) was used for gaining entrance to a king's presence—through Jesus, we are granted continual access to divine favour. This is a firm, present standing in God’s unmerited favour—not just an entry point but a continual position.

We Rejoice in hope of the glory of God = We anticipate the future glory - Paul reminds us of the absolute certainty that God will fully redeem His people.

……love Paul’s emphasis….God has bestowed ( confer or present (an honour, right, or gift) on us….but wait….THERE’S MORE!

Without a paradigm shift:

1. We Can Easily Assume Love Should Equal Comfort

Often we (especially in Western culture) are conditioned to believe: “If God loves me, life should be easy.”

We equate love with comfort, ease, and blessing. So when trials come, we assume:

“God must be distant.”

“I must have done something wrong.”

“This is unfair.”

But Scripture teaches a different truth: Love doesn’t shield us from hardship—it walks with us through it and uses it to transform us.

The trials you face are not proof that God is absent. They’re proof that God is invested in your future.

The truth is God is present, His nature is not changed. (Anchor to the truth, in the middle of the standing waiting & persevering .

Hebrews 6:18-

God doesn’t promise a life free from pressure. He promises that your suffering will never be wasted.

Paradigm Shift: From “God’s love removes pressure” to “God’s love redeems pressure.”

2. We Can Think Suffering is Pointless or Punishment

Without a biblical lens, suffering feels random, meaningless, or even intended as punishment.

Romans 5:3–4 reveals that suffering is not wasted—it’s purposeful, that suffering doesn’t destroy hope—it refines it.

James 1:2–4 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

The chain of transformation:

Suffering → Endurance (perseverance)

Endurance → Character (tested, proven faith)

Character → Hope (anchored expectation)

God doesn’t waste your pain—He works through it.

It’s the training ground for:

Endurance

Proven character -

Confident hope

1 Peter 1:6–7 NLT

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

When Peter says that when our faith is tested by fire, it reveals how genuine it is. Our true character, the genuineness of our faith, is revealed through our endurance in the midst of suffering. Suffering that is endured with trust in God has a way of leading us to a much deeper faith in God, a faith that others can clearly see, because it is genuine. It is real.

True Christian character is formed under pressure and becomes a foundation for hope.

This hope is not optimism, but confident assurance refined by real-life experience.

That takes a paradigm shift because it reframes pain not as a setback but as fertile soil for spiritual growth and maturity.

Isaiah 64:8 - A potter shapes clay on a wheel—not because the clay is worthless, but because he sees its potential. He applies pressure to form beauty.

Weights - I hate them, it feels hard, they’re heavy, my muscles hurt, I don’t like the discipline required to keep going

But I know that its good for me, great for my heart health, that over time I will be stronger, I will be able to graduate to heavier weights..etc

Paradigm Shift: From “God is punishing me” to “God is preparing me.”

3. We Can Misunderstand the Goal of the Christian Life

We can think the goal is:

“To be saved, go to heaven, and try to behave until then.”

But God’s goal is far bigger:

To form the character of Christ in us. (Romans 8:29 — “to be conformed to the image of His Son”)

And Christ’s character—humble, holy, patient, strong in suffering—is not built in comfort.

It’s built in refining moments where we learn trust, obedience, and perseverance.

God doesn’t just want to change your situation. He wants to change you—to shape you into someone who reflects His Son.

From “Faith is about avoiding failure” to “Faith is about becoming like Jesus.”

4. We Can Overlook Holy Spirit’s Role in Inner Transformation

Often we try to change ourselves from the outside in—by striving, performing, or pretending.

But Romans 5:5 says:

“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Holy Spirit is not just a footnote—He is the active agent of transformation, whispering God's love and working from the inside out.

God doesn’t just want to change your situation. He wants to change you—to shape you into someone who reflects His Son.

Your hope is secure, not because of your circumstances, but because of God’s love actively present through His Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:21–22 NLT

It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

Partner with Holy Spirit, walk with him through the seasons of life

A person whose hope is the result of suffering and endurance and character? That is a person who has a hope that is so strong that nothing in this world will take it away. They believe and trust that God will make everything right in the end.

Paradigm Shift: From “I must fix myself” to “The Spirit is forming me.”

Why the Paradigm Shift Is Essential

Old Thinking v’s New Thinking

Suffering = punishment Suffering = formation

God’s love = primarily for comfort God’s love = character shaping

Faith = behaviour Faith = transformation

I must strive The Spirit works in me

When we adopt this new way of thinking, we stop asking:

“Why is this happening to me?”

And we start asking:

“God what are you doing in me?”

That shift leads to peace, maturity, and unshakable hope in God who loves you with an unending and greater love you will ever know.