Perseverance
There are many tales of people who have persevered through trials and adversity and come out on top of what looked to be a fruitless and failed life venture. As an outsider looking in on some of those situations, we often wonder how are they coping? How are they withstanding the frustration, anxiety, heartbreak, and failures that seem to be mounting up day after day? And the answer I have found is what is on their inside.
For God has offered each of us His gift of grace through his son Jesus. And when we accept that gift, a personal relationship between Christ and you and I has begun. And little by little through trust and faith in God, through our life’s little battles, he will show us how his ultimate strength and oversight will guide us, heal us and free us through and from whatever big obstacles come barreling at us. In those people we have witnessed who have overcome the emotions and trappings that tend to steal joy and peace, it is God who has restored their hearts.
I figure that when you take faith and combine it with trust, the outward reflection becomes perseverance. The ability to hang in there one day at a time as you wait for God to calm the storm, settle your heart and gently guide you through the battle. We can set out to try to defeat the tormentors on our own or we can reach out to the one who knows all and controls all to ease the journey.
My husband and I set out on a short bike ride in Colorado last week. He has a regular mountain bike and I have what is called an e-bike. He has to pedal hard up the hills and I can push a little button on my bike and get some serious help as I, without much force, ease without a lot of effort up the hill. That, to me, is kind of the way God works in my life. I can try to hold down the frustrations, resentment, or tough challenges on my own or I can merely call out to the Lord and ask for some help. And as Siri would say…”he’s on it”, but what we have to remember is it is on HIS timing not our own. That is why we must continue to persevere through the trails before us, trusting God in his mighty countenance to help us find his joy and peace on our journey onward.
There is something calming about knowing that when you ask God to take on your heavy burdens, that he will respond. But just like that e-bike, you still have to pedal along to get the reinforcement. And as you trust the will of God, and pedal “with him” that is when you are equipped to let perseverance take the reigns and allow you to carry on. For God will give you the strength, and a gaze forward that will overcome the trails you are leaving behind.
There are 11 verses in the bible that relate directly to perseverance….here are a few:
Romans 5:3-4 not only so, be we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character hope.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since such a great cloud of witnesses surrounds us, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverancethe race marked out for us
James 1:3-4
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverancefinish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
James 5:11
As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseveranceand have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
2 Peter 1:6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness
May God bless you as you prayerfully submit to his guidance, and his helpfulness in times of distress? God knows your heart, he knows the hurdles you are confronted with and his love and power exceed whatever the circumstances are before you. Amen
Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!
