WHAT IS SPIRITUAL PERSEVERANCE?

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4.

In every life, there will be moments when you have to endure. In every Christian journey, there will also be times you have to endure. God calls His followers to persevere, to walk forward in faith, trusting God even when trials and sufferings come.

The Bible is full of stories of men and women who persevered. The apostle Paul often wrote about perseverance. If anyone demonstrated endurance, it was Paul. He urged believers not to tire of following Christ, even when persecuted. He’d been beaten, stoned, whipped, driven out of town, shipwrecked, reviled, and abandoned. Despite having a thousand reasons to put perseverance on hold, he trusted and obeyed God.

Perseverance is not easy. Just ask any long-distance runner. It hurts to keep running when everything in you longs to stop. The motivation to continue is the reward. The same is true spiritually. Considering it a joy to face trials does not mean we enjoy the hardship. God is not asking us to be in sour circumstances. Jesus did not want to go to the cross…but “because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross.” He is our reward. And to be mature in Him, we must learn to persevere.

When we “hit the wall” in the marathon of the Christian life, the cause is usually spiritual rather than physical. It can be due to various reasons, one of which is we always seem to fall short. Don’t be discouraged or feel guilty when you fall short. We all are human and will respond imperfectly at one point or another. What’s important is what we do next.

Whenever you’re in a difficult moment, remember the words Paul wrote to the Galatians: “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.” (Galatians 6:9). Everybody fails. It may be your fault, but it may not be your fault. You are not a superhero. We all make mistakes, we all have down times, and we all fail sometimes. Persevering people decide to keep moving on.

Perseverance is not a one-time event; it must become a lifestyle. You will need to do it continually if you are determined to succeed. Those who persevere will succeed because they refuse to give up. Our Christian life is a race to the finish line; we are not aimlessly running around as if we have no destination. In any race, the one who persists, who never gives up in the face of difficulties, will always triumph.

Discussion Questions:

In what areas of your life do you need more perseverance?
What can you do this week to improve in those areas?