Endurance

In the world of physical fitness or sports, to excel and even be great, there is a price that must be paid. The price is paid in blood, sweat, and tears. This price isn’t just paid once, or even just now and again. To be great and excel in their field, one must do cardio daily, exercise, lift weights, and even study and learn new ways of being great in their field.

But the one thing they cannot do is give up. They must be willing to sacrifice sleep, comfort, and time in relationships. What they must do is endure. I am sure that there are times when they must count the cost and see if what they are trying to accomplish is worth it. If the answer is yes, then they must endure; they cannot give up just because things become hard, because they know that at the end of their journey, they will be better off.   

This is the same for the followers of Christ. If we desire to grow, to be better followers, to be strong in our faith, to strive to become more like Jesus, we too must be willing to pay the price.

James challenges us in chapter 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James begins with this phrase, “consider it all joy when you encounter various trials.” To consider is not an option for the follower of Jesus, but a command. A follower of Jesus is not immune to the pain and suffering in this world. The truth is that Jesus allows us to go through the most horrific things that can happen in life because He wants us to become stronger in our faith. He desires for us to grow and to be more like Him. This is not just for our sake, but for the sake of all those who watch a Christian to see if they really believe what they teach. Will the so-called Christian fold like a deck of cards and behave like those who are lost, or will they display joy through the pain? Will they be able to say blessed be the name of the Lord even though their world seems to be falling apart?

I say YES! The believer can overcome; the believer can endure. Now we all know that we cannot do this on our own power, but we can choose to love God and not curse Him through the trials, and in this desire to love God through it all, He will give us the strength to carry on, to pick up our cross and follow. We do this not only to please our Lord, but to show a lost and broken world that our God is loving and faithful. He does not leave us when we are in the storms of life. No, He walks with us, He carries us, and through it all He is completing His work in us, so that we may mature in our spiritual life. So, my brothers and sisters, I shout out the battle cry, ENDURE!!!