Thank You

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Endurance

I recently decided to begin training for a marathon, something that has been on my bucket list for quite a while, and part of that process is a structured running plan each week, to build endurance...

One of the longer runs I completed was a half-marathon (13.1 miles), which, after some deliberation, I decided to tackle on a family trip to the beach. For many miles I contemplated the word endurance and often questioned why I would do this with no foreseeable prize at the end of the journey. It was during one of the later legs that I thought of each step as a test of my personal will to either give up or make the decision to keep moving forward. In that moment, I realized that endurance is not something I could buy, but something I could build through each test of the journey.

When I think about how James leads us down a path of having joy in our trials, I am glad he gave us a glimpse of the end result. For people of faith, endurance can take every bit of energy day in and day out, just to keep moving forward. The evil one is going to attack, trials are going to come and the choice is ultimately ours – quit or keep moving forward. James is encouraging us to recognize the trials of life for what they are, opportunities to test our faith which in turn will strengthen our ability to endure. Whether you are in a trial now, coming out of a trial, or about to enter a season of trial, remember that when we put our faith in Christ, He will never leave us or forsake us, and will be with us every step of the way, He will give us strength to endure.

Questions to Consider

1. When was the last time you almost gave up – what kept you moving forward?
2. Who do you know that exemplifies endurance in trials, and have you told them how their testimony has impacted you personally?