This episode is a continuation of our last two: discussing discipline and talking with Grace Norman while she connects her relationship with God and her training for Olympic triathlon. This endurance is not the physical “let’s get through a marathon” kind, but the spiritual: getting through life in the hard times, the arduous times, the long waits, and the mundane.
- Definition of endurance: the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina.
- Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. we do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
- This verse shows that thank goodness our strength to keep running comes from God, not ourselves
- When we compare our trials to Jesus, they don’t even compare. But Jesus didn’t endure all of this for his own benefit but for ours, we were his motivation. How much more motivation for us to continue do we need?
- Please note that everyone’s successful endurance journey will look different. I don’t mean to continue through life at a fast pace with no change of speed. However, some people will be able to look more like seasoned marathon runners while others, a day where they get out of bed and complete one task is a huge accomplishment. Both are huge, please do not compare your life and your progress to someone else’s. It just won’t help or be realistic.
- So what do I mean by spiritual endurance? I mean continuing to train, to push through, and work toward your faithfulness strength.
- For some, that’s getting through a major life trial like infertility, a death in the family, health scare. These are tangible hills to push through. But when you get to the end of them you will be able to look back and see a sweet time where you got to see how God cared for you and how you got stronger along the way.
- Other times, it’s finding the time to “work out” your spiritual strength in the midst of juggling life with kids, work deadlines, taking care of yourself, etc. It’s really easy to get distracted, but this is the time to work hard! This is where you get stronger, build endurance, and get in better shape when you hit those hills in the point above. Because you will hit those hills at some point.
- Where does endurance originate? It comes from God, we can’t do anything to start it. But we are responsible with what God gives us. Through that, God will build into us more, give us more strength, and increase our responsibilities.
- Our job is not to make our “workout plan.” Our only job is to not give up, to trust God’s faithfulness, and just follow Jesus in the direction and pace that he gives us.
- Philippians 1:6- And I am certain that God, who began a good work in you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
- When we are ready to start building endurance, we need to start slow and steady. Just like a person who has never run should follow a program like Couch to 5K, we need to make sure that we don’t try to go all out right away. This is how we can burn out quickly or get hurt.
- A person from the Bible who pushed through long training to get to the goal God had for him was Noah. From the time that God asked him to build the boat, through the times of physical strengthening and emotional hardship, it took 100 years (that’s 43,800 days!) to complete it.
- The prophet Isaiah often had to prophesy against his own people, often crying out to God “how long will this go on?” But he continued, and even through depression and loneliness, he was given the privilege to prophesy some of the most beautiful words about the coming of Jesus. These words are so beautiful that much of the lyrics from Handel’s Messiah come directly from the book of Isaiah.
- Another good word that we can sometimes replace endurance with is patience. Sometimes, our endurance training is just to wait for the answer.
- It’s so easy to want to give up. But there is no direct route from where we are to the beautiful place God wants us to be. We need to wait on His timing.
- Colossians 1:23- But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the good news.
- God has a reason for His timing and His wait periods.
- Joseph from the Old Testament: it took 13 years from the dreams he got as a 17-year-old claiming to one day rule over his family to the point where that actually occurred. In the meantime he was sold to slavery, falsely accused of rape, and forgotten in prison. But after being faithful to God through all of these, he was finally put in the place to rule. But not only for himself, but this timing that God had given Joseph the perfect spot to literally save the future of the nation of Israel.
- Hebrews 11:39-40-All these people earned a good reputation because of the faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me and the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me, but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
- What can encourage us in the middle of endurance building trials? The number one help for me is to find Bible verses or passages that relate to the specific trial that I’m in.
- Acts 14:22- they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.
- Paul wrote these words to others who were also being persecuted. Not only is it helpful to be encouraged by someone who has been through what you’re going through, but when Paul wrote these words he was literally healing after the people in Antioch attempted and almost successfully stoned him.
- 1 Peter 1:6-9 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold- though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
- What? Be truly glad? Because God is working in you and building you up. You will look back at it and be able to see exactly what He was doing and why.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13- The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
- Do you face temptation? We all do. So here God absolutely promises to give us an out. But that’s it: He gives us the out. It’s our responsibility to find it and use it. God does not force our choices on us, but He makes sure that we do have those choices.
- Matthew 7:7-8- Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
- This does not apply to when you ask for a million dollars or a brand new expensive car. But when you ask God for something important to you, make sure you actually ask. And in His timing, which usually means some waiting, He will provide the right thing to fill your need.
- Galatians 6:9- So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
- Sometimes, we are waiting to see some fruit from the service that we are giving to God. That waiting can sometimes be so discouraging.
- It is our responsibility to sow the seeds, but it is not our responsibility to somehow force the fruit or crop to grow. However, if we keep on going and not give up, we will get a harvest!
- “Most people over-estimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade”- Matthew Kelly
- Romans 5:3- We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us build endurance.”
- Jeremiah 17:7-8- But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit.
- Job really understood what it meant to go through trial after trial after trial. And after losing so much, and being given the opportunity to actually question God about it, Job was exposed to God’s power character. To that Job responded in Job 42:5- I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
- Acts 14:22- they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.
- There are 2 big things that we can do to help equip us best to build endurance:
- Find our passion! Passion gives the energy to continue through something even though it’s so hard, just merely by the fact that we love to do it so much. We will talk about this more later
- Fuel ourselves well.
- Athletes eat healthily. They do this so that they do not run out of steam, and so they don’t pack on extra weight to slow them down.
- We need to fuel well by surrounding ourselves with good friends, study the Bible, get a great church family, etc.
- We need to get the junk out of our lives that slows us down.
- Athletes eat healthily. They do this so that they do not run out of steam, and so they don’t pack on extra weight to slow them down.
- Even with all of this information, we are human. We will fail.
- Christine Caine in Unstoppable, after discussing Peter walking on water, said: climb out of that boat with your eyes fixed on Jesus. And if you falter, cry it to him, reach out to him, knowing he will catch you and climb into your boat. Wehn the time is right, he will calm the storm. But he will choose the time- when your weaknesses have been revealed when your doubts have been exposed. Then he will step into your weakness with his strength and will prove your doubts and unfounded and that he is faithful and trustworthy.
- There are 2 things we need to remember:
- Every single day is a new day to try again
- Everyone who runs to Jesus makes it
2 Corinthians 4:7-10- We now have this light shining in our hears, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
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