Reclaimed Perseverance: Never Give Up!نموونە

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love, and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5) 

Have you ever felt like giving up? Sometimes it's hard to look past failure, setbacks, offenses, loss, injury, disappointment, or defeat. Life can throw one unfair punch after the other. The fight doesn’t seem to wait on you to catch your breath and regain your footing. The punches can start with receiving bad news from the doctor, to children being injured, cutoff notices in the mail, your boss calling you into their office, your spouse deciding your marriage is over, rejection from loved ones, feelings of loneliness or betrayal, or the loss of a loved one. Although these are all very devastating things to experience there are no pause buttons to life. The parent with young children can’t lay in the bed soaking in tears from many defeats in their lives. This is where perseverance must come into play. 

Perseverance isn’t easy, but it is effort that you put towards accomplishing what you started out to do, in spite of the difficulties, failures, and opposition. In the book of James, we are encouraged to count it all joy when we face various trials of many kinds, because it is in testing of your faith that causes perseverance to develop. Perseverance must be allowed to finish the work so that it may make you mature and complete leaving you lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4). This may seem very hard to do but the benefits outweigh the challenges you will face. The Apostle Paul knew this better than any of us as he faced countless trails and tribulations for the sake of furthering the gospel of Jesus. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, left for dead, imprisoned, nearly starved, dehydrated, suffered sleepless nights in the cold, nakedness, and this was often in weariness and toil (2 Corinthians 11:27-28). Yet, he was still able to write an encouraging letter to the Roman Church telling them how he rejoices in his suffering because he knows that it is in the company of suffering that perseverance is produced, and perseverance is used to produce character and character is used to produce hope (Romans 5:3-4). The good news is that God isn’t expecting us to do this in our strength but rather it is in our weakness that His strength is perfected. We are called, not only to keep the faith, but to fight the good fight of faith. Remember as you go through your day that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. 

Prayer 

Father God, when I want to quit and give up remind me to ask for Your help to keep going. Be my strength in this time of weakness and help me to remember that You are always present to help in my time of need. Father I need You now more than ever, and I welcome Your will over my own be done in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.