Perseverance. It involves the ability to stay focused and on course to accomplish something that is very difficult and demanding. As the quote in the picture from C.S. Lewis explains, it is different from strength in the sense of the physical, but rather involves the ability to stay the course no matter what the obstacle.
So, why are we Christians expected to have perseverance? What does it have to do with our faith? To answer that, we must look at the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the Cross over two thousand years ago. For Him to stand up to the pain and suffering He endured to give us forgiveness for our sins, he had to suffer for hours, persevering to prove not only his character as the only perfect man who lived on earth, but to also give mankind hope for the future through his death.
In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul reiterates this situation by saying that suffering develops in us the ability to persevere and perseverance builds our character which does give us hope. And what is the hope? Well, it's actually more than hope, for it's a promise and the promise is to believe in Jesus Christ and receive the reward of everlasting life. What could be more hopeful than that?
Even if we merely look at it from the perspective of modern society without even including the ever important Christians perspective, perseverance give us patience to stay the course on what we do. So many today lack the patience to do the hard work that is needed, wishing to take the easy way out instead. Living on welfare instead of finding work and doing it diligently, expecting a top grade without studying and working for it, or even accepting a participation award instead of mastering something and really excelling, such as in sports or as a sales superstar, are just a few examples. And when we receive something for nothing, that's just about how much value we put in it and we find ourselves miserable and don't even know why.
God created us to be all that we can be, but he gave us the free will to choose whether we'd take that challenge or not. And our success needs to be measured in His terms, not our own. Are we up to the challenge He gives us and are we willing to persevere for Him come what may? That's the question, but know this. He knows what He wants us to know and He knows what we do. There is no escape from that and there is no escape from his ultimate judgement of us individually when this life is done.
It really boils down to this: If we persevere for Him in living as He wants us to with faith in Him, no matter what trials and tribulations we must go through, we will inherit the ultimate prize. That prize is Life in His Kingdom forever.
So, why are we Christians expected to have perseverance? What does it have to do with our faith? To answer that, we must look at the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the Cross over two thousand years ago. For Him to stand up to the pain and suffering He endured to give us forgiveness for our sins, he had to suffer for hours, persevering to prove not only his character as the only perfect man who lived on earth, but to also give mankind hope for the future through his death.
In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul reiterates this situation by saying that suffering develops in us the ability to persevere and perseverance builds our character which does give us hope. And what is the hope? Well, it's actually more than hope, for it's a promise and the promise is to believe in Jesus Christ and receive the reward of everlasting life. What could be more hopeful than that?
Even if we merely look at it from the perspective of modern society without even including the ever important Christians perspective, perseverance give us patience to stay the course on what we do. So many today lack the patience to do the hard work that is needed, wishing to take the easy way out instead. Living on welfare instead of finding work and doing it diligently, expecting a top grade without studying and working for it, or even accepting a participation award instead of mastering something and really excelling, such as in sports or as a sales superstar, are just a few examples. And when we receive something for nothing, that's just about how much value we put in it and we find ourselves miserable and don't even know why.
God created us to be all that we can be, but he gave us the free will to choose whether we'd take that challenge or not. And our success needs to be measured in His terms, not our own. Are we up to the challenge He gives us and are we willing to persevere for Him come what may? That's the question, but know this. He knows what He wants us to know and He knows what we do. There is no escape from that and there is no escape from his ultimate judgement of us individually when this life is done.
It really boils down to this: If we persevere for Him in living as He wants us to with faith in Him, no matter what trials and tribulations we must go through, we will inherit the ultimate prize. That prize is Life in His Kingdom forever.
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