We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:22-23)

Do you feel like giving up sometimes? Or that the pain and suffering you are going through is ‘not worth it at all’? As children of God, our hope is rooted in God’s promise that suffering is temporary and that the future is worth living in.

Paul uses a dramatic metaphor for hope – labour pains. He describes a three-fold “groaning” – by us, by creation and by the Spirit. All three are longing for the birth of a new world.

Hope in the Bible is rooted in the promises of God about the future. A woman in the process of labour knows her pain will end, and her hopes for a healthy child help her to tolerate the present pain. Our hope is rooted in God’s promise that suffering is temporary and that the future is worth living in. Thus, we can receive both our present suffering and the anticipated future “birth” with open arms. We are right to personalise this new birth, for Jesus says that we must be “born from above” (John 3:3).

In Matthew 19:28 Jesus says the world will be regenerated – “born again”! We experience in Christ our own re-creation, and we anticipate the rebirth of the entire creation. This is wonderful news, assuring us that even in the midst of suffering in a corrupt, chaotic world, we can have peace and hope.