The Path of PerseveranceSample

May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:13

What does it really take to endure hardship?

In this chapter, we hear Paul's response to Timothy’s report, which encourages and provides perspective to the Thessalonians.

He brings back up the promise of persecution and trial that he gave when he was first with them. Paul’s search for their condition in this chapter begins with a question: How is your faith?

There are two other questions we can ask that will strengthen our faith and hope, maybe even for our present trials. We often cannot gauge the condition of our faith during trials until we remind ourselves of the boundary lines of where our faith dwells. Where is your faith? This is not just a question about the measure of it within you, though it can be. See this question as an indicator to point to the very place your faith takes residence, and it is from here you believe and live: Your heart.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and then it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:10

It all starts with the heart.

If we are aware that faith lies within the heart, then we can recognize that the condition of our hearts can often affect the measure of our faith.

The second question we can ask ourselves is a simple yet profound one: Whom is your faith in? We all should know this, right? Yet again, when things are hard, and our hearts feel weak because of hardship, we can fall into our greatest human temptation and sin: forgetfulness.

We must be encouraged by reminding ourselves daily that our faith is a who, and His name is Jesus. He himself was tempted and tried, and the assurance of our faith is that because He endured, we can, too. He is so kind and merciful to bring us back to the simple truth even when we fight against Him. He is in this fight of faith with us as He desires for us to make it to the end–where we will see Him. It is the weak yet dependent heart that is made strong in Christ that will endure.

I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8

1. How is your heart today? And in what areas do you need Jesus to minister to your heart?
2. Even in the face of trial, where can you see your faith being strengthened?