Perseverance
Romans 5:3-5 “We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. When we have learned not to give up, it shows we have stood the test. When we have stood the test, it gives us hope. Hope never makes us ashamed because the love of God has come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us.”
Think of it like this:
Just as we work on our physical muscles in a gym, this time of waiting is an opportunity to develop our spiritual muscles—our faith, hope, and perseverance. We do so by making the deliberate decision to incorporate Scripture into our lives and to have faith the Father is working on our behalf. We eagerly take hold of the promises He’s given us in the Bible, vigorously set our hearts to believe Him, and energetically obey whenever He calls. As we make the active choice to trust His promises, our hope grows, and we learn to face our times of delay with expectant endurance. One of the great benefits of perseverance is the ability to bounce back from the down times and not let them discourage you or make you quit. But perseverance is only half of it. You've got to back that up with faith and courage. Let the Lord give you the strength to see things through.
Thankfully, because the sovereign God of the universe has never faltered in fulfilling His Word, we’re absolutely assured He will not fail us now. Our active resolve to trust Him will certainly lead to blessing.
Hebrews 10:35-36 admonishes, “Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” The Living Bible paraphrases it like this: “Do not let this happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens. Remember your reward! You need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if you want Him to do for you all that He has promised.” Another key to perseverance is knowing that there will be tough, dark times. Perseverance is the ability to stand up and take a step forward when everyone else sits down. It doesn’t always come naturally; the path of least resistance is quite popular and wide as the Bible states. However, the grit to persevere is lacking in many of us.
So how do you gain the perseverance that God longs for us to develop?
Purpose - We must have that driving force inside of us to keep going, to keep seeking after that purpose. That “why” we do what we do, even when it seems bleak or unattainable. Your ‘why’ serves as a constant motivator to keep you on track and persevering.
2. Desire - You must really want it, sometimes we don’t want something enough to do the hard work or persevere sufficiently to obtain it. If we want to increase our faith and rid our lives of doubt, do we read, study, and memorize His promises for us? When we know them, we can build a desire for them and keep going even when life doesn’t fulfill that promise in our timing. Look at Simeon and Anna in Luke 2 for notable examples of perseverance and how their faith was built in the waiting.
3. Sovereignty of God - You must believe that God is in control. Limiting beliefs towards God’s power will undermine your ability to persevere and absorb some of the energy that you want to use to power towards your goals. God is completely in charge of everything? Isaiah 46:9-10 ESV “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’” Yes, you do have free will. So, do people have to answer for their choices and actions? Absolutely. Galatians 6:7 “For whatever one sows, that will he also reap”. In other words, our perseverance is key for receiving the absolute best God’s planned for us. Therefore, we must endure, walking in His will—no matter what happens or how long it takes—so that we can know for certain we’ll receive the blessings He’s planned for us.
Here’s another verse that speaks to why suffering and trials (AKA life happenings) are part of our growth and refinement process.
Romans 5:1-4 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
4. His will be done – Evaluate your goals and His will. This is a key aspect of persevering. If you don’t know God’s Will, how can you get there? Even if your plans aren’t perfect, you should have a promise of God or something that you are aiming for, it provides focus and a level of accountability needed to persevere. If your plans are vague and undefined, your levels of perseverance will dwindle. Seek God and He will reveal His will for your life and build your faith in His promises at the same time. This builds godly character. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
5. Accurate - Your perseverance should be based on a firm foundation of knowledge in His Word. After all, why persevere with a goal or plan that isn’t in line with His Word? Do your market research, understand the promises of God, create a business plan. It’s important to get expert advice and support to ensure that your perseverance is well focused, have a mentor or someone with a deep faith review your plan. IF you are pursuing something that is not accurate, you know what they say – the best laid plans of men have no power over God’s Will and plan for your life. Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Learn these principles and apply them to your life to grow in perseverance and character.
As you do, contentment will follow. Revel in the fact that you are God’s masterpiece! He knows the number of hairs on your head and cares for you! How do I know that? John 3:16 NIV “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Who else but God has sacrificed like that to give you the option of spending eternity with Him in heaven? Perseverance is so worth it. Fight back at common cultures values, anything goes, and love is love culture. Find the TRUTH and it will set you free! John 8:31-38 ESV “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’? Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave[b] to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”