Aftershock - Take Care of YourselfSample

Determine to Persevere

Perseverance is defined as the determination to persist in the face of obstacles or discouragement.

You are in a race you didn’t expect, and joy seems elusive right now. But here you are. You are at the starting line, in the lane marked “Woman of God.” The finish line is far ahead of you, beyond several turns that will challenge your endurance. Healing and restoration await you at the finish line.

“But wait,” you say. “I’m running a totally different race now than when my husband and I got married. How do I run this race?”

A still, small voice slips into your mind and whispers, “The same way you ran the other one: by relying on My strength.”

You will live to run again. Yes, you have suffered a severe injury that needs time to heal. You’ll have to work hard to rehabilitate and get back in shape to run well again. There will be more pain that will make you want to quit this race. But you are not a quitter! The joy set before you will help you stay in this race, and that same joy will transform your life. No matter what happens after you cross the finish line – marriage restored or not restored – you will be whole. If you walk away now, you have little hope that you or your marriage will be restored. But if you stay in this race, you have great hope for success.

Your goal is to “run with perseverance the race marked out for [you]” (Hebrews 12:1). You do this by committing to keep going even when the going feels intolerable. Determine to go all the way to the finish line, staying in the lane that leads to restoration. Once you’ve determined to persevere, you can stop questioning whether to keep running this race or quit.

To “keep running” means to keep on reading and engaging with this devotional, following the advice that’s offered along the way, and trusting the One running next to you to the finish line.

This is self-respect, godly determination, and self-care at their best. You can do this!

Next, we’ll look at step three to self-care: acting on your prayers.