(Contributed by: Cynthia Choi)
Endurance to me is quite a pretty strong word. At first, I thought patience and endurance are same. where we have to bear in a situation. But, the difference is Patience = having the ability to wait, whereas Endurance = having the ability to continue in doing something inspite of the difficult or unpleasant situations for quite a long time. Not denying that patience and endurance actually works hand in hand. Am sure without being patience, we won't be able to endure difficult situations.
Even the bible often mentions about endurance, hardships, etc. I remembered when I was in the 1st 3 years of marriage, it was tough, I meant really tough. Was having pain emotionally, physically tired (conceived after 2 months of marriage and husband wasn't there all the time, worked till very late) and somehow it affected me spiritually. Somehow, I thank God that I managed to pull thru that difficult stage of marriage and there were cries on and off and I guess this is endurance and not patience.
Where pain is involved and I guess it's for the good too as one will seek God earnestly in times of trouble. I believe God allows us to go thru difficult situation to make us mature and to grow closer to him everyday. Should our life is like a bed of roses, I don't think we need God at all.
Not only in family relationships, but pain can happen in relationships with others, work, ministries, spiritual warfare. We must not lose our focus when the world seems to be stumbling down because we have the victory in Him. We need to proclaim that.
James 5:10-11 NKJV) My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. {11} Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord; that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
(Hebrews 12:1-4 NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, {2} looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. {3} For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. {4} You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
Romans 5:3-4
We can be rest assured that we are not walking alone when trials or difficult situation comes. When I just accepted Christ, went thru persecutions, dad disallowed me to attend church, dad scolded and ridiculed by friends as 'Jesus freak'. I couldn't stand it anymore and as I was seeking the Lord, the scripture that caught my attention was from James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. I asked God 'What? Count it all joy? How to be joyful when I'm going thru these...it was like hell, hated it!!!'. Somehow, as I did not rebel and endured what I was going thru, things seemed to simmer down and dad allowed me to go to church and friends wasn't teasing me anymore. All these happened unexpectedly and our Father in Heaven does know when the right time comes. Of course, I was overjoyed.
To conclude, many of us may be going thru some hard times one way or another, we can say 'I give up' or 'I press on for You, Jesus'. The decision is in our hands. Prayerfully it will be pressing on for Jesus as we want to give glory and honor to Him at the end of the day and let's trample on the scorpions and say 'Shooo! Devil'. Luke
(Cynthia Choi)
1 comment:
Endurance is only possible when there is hope. Without hope, no one can endure anything.
Being a Christian, we are truly a unique, out-of-this-world, privileged and chosen people because our hope is grounded in our Lord Jesus, the rock of our salvation.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 “We always thank God for all of you…continually remember you before our God and Father … your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Emphasis added)
Yes, our endurance is sustained and inspired by the immovable hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember the song “turn your eyes upon Jesus”?
...and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace…
Whatever hardship we are facing right now will ‘strangely’ be endurable if we have the right perspective and hope in Jesus.
One of the glorious hopes in Jesus is the return of our Lord in person to take us with him to His heavenly dwelling.
Hours before He was crucified, Jesus was lovingly washing his disciples’ feet. Imagine! The mighty God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, stripped himself of all glory and humbled himself to a position of a lowly slave and began to wash their feet, one by one! Beside greatly embarrassed, the disciples’ hearts should have been greatly moved and their eyes should have been filled with tears because of this tenderness of love shown by their Master. He then told them that he would be leaving them soon, but they were not to be troubled because He was only going away temporarily to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. And He would come back for them and therefore they must learn to rest in this hope. (John 13-14)
Praise God that all believers have this hope: our journey on earth may be rough but our destination is always assured!
Imagine the unimaginable: a heavenly dwelling with unfathomable beauty and glory is being reserved for us. Think of the most beautiful place you have seen on this earth, but heaven will be a million times better than that because the Lord from whom, through whom and to whom all things are made is now preparing the place for us since His ascension 2000 year ago!
Think of the most explosive and awesome worship time you have during your earthly experience, I think the love, intimacy, worship and adoration we will experience in heaven will be a million times better than this as we will be in our new body with new capacity and we will be seeing Him face to face!
The joy and hope of heaven should so fill our heart that it should motivate us to continue to preserve and endure in whatever God want us to go through in this short and temporary earthly life.
Another important thing about endurance is that it is supposed to be done corporately. We should not allow our brothers to suffer alone. Paul said if one part of the member of the body suffers, all other parts suffer together. (1 Corinthian 12:26) So it is only proper that we share with other members of the family the stories of our endurance, the struggles and fights that we are going through in this life, don’t keep it to yourself. God want us to use this sharing to encourage, inspire and nurture hope in Jesus, so that together we will endure and overcome by the power of His Love! (Roman 8:37)
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