2025 Christian Ethical Vegan Advent Reflection Guide - Day 4

Day 4 – Wednesday of Week One (Dec 3, 2025) Scripture: “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Romans 8:25, NKJV) Hope requires patience. We long for immediate results, but Advent reminds us that the Messiah Himself came after many generations of people waiting and longing. Ethical veganism, too, is a long journey of waiting as we plant seeds of compassion in this fallen world. We must take captive our thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) of impatience and replace them with steadfast hope. Impatience leads us into frustration. Frustration (anger, annoyance, and disappointment) leads us to focus on the fact that the world isn’t transforming fast enough. This can discourage our hearts and diminish actions we might have otherwise taken as representatives of change. Impatience steals hope and growth. Like farmers who hope and trust the earth to yield, we must hope too and trust God to bring fruit from our witness. Even when we don’t see results, hope says, “God is at work.” Let us think of the plants that nourish us – much of what results in the food that sustains us occurs below the ground. Without what is out of sight the plants would never grow and mature to eventually produce nuts, seeds, fruits, grains, leaves, stalks, and all else. Likewise, we are the roots of what is yet to come within the future non-violent and peaceful body of Christ. We – as the roots - must go deep. We must grow strong. We must focus on making what is yet to come thrive. And what is yet to come is the Peaceable Kingdom - in that we can have complete hope. Question: How can I better embrace patience as an act of hope to extinguish frustration? Action Step: Write a short note of encouragement about waiting with unwavering hope, without frustration, to someone who shares in this journey of compassion.