Bulletin Articles
Patiently Endure
“Fall seven times. Stand up eight.” That Japanese proverb expresses well the idea of perseverance, which is something that Christians ought to be familiar with. Looking to those who have gone before as examples of faith, Christians are told “run with endurance” the race set before them (Heb 12:1-2). In the context of Hebrews, they were encouraged to patiently endure the trials and persecutions rather than succumb to the temptation to return to their old ways.
“But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul” (Heb 10:39).
Endurance is required to get through the difficult times, and the reason why one chooses to endure is faith in the desired outcome. This is the essence of hope: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Jesus Himself endured the cross, despising the shame of it, because of the joy that was before Him (12:3). Christians are to follow this example, knowing that joy awaits after the trials.
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jas 1:2-4; cf. 1 Pet 1:3-9).
This is why hope serves as the “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Heb 6:19). Without it, our desire to endure will quickly fade, and we won’t know why we are continuing on a course that has its difficulties. This would only lead to frustration and the desire to give up.
Endurance and patience go hand in hand. Probably less considered is that endurance and patience also go together with love. Among other traits, love is patient (1 Cor. 13:4). Love is tied to perseverance, for we endure and persevere in what we truly love. The less we love, the more likely we will be impatient toward something that we consider unpleasant. But when we love fully, we are perfectly willing to go through whatever is necessary in order to demonstrate that love. That which is unpleasant is seen as a temporary issue to overcome, but with patience we are determined to do it. Love will accept nothing short of dogged determination to carry matters out to the end.
Of course, God is the perfect example of such patience. He is a longsuffering God, not wishing for any to perish (2 Pet 3:9). Why? Because He is also a loving God, desiring to be in fellowship with His creatures made in His image. Because of God’s great love, Jesus died for the sins of the world (Rom. 5:8). God’s patience and love match perfectly and provides for us the greatest example of the enduring spirit.
Patience seems to be most often directed toward others. “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1Thess 5:14). “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” (2 Tim 2:24-26) As God is patient and longsuffering toward all of us, so we are expected to be patient toward others.
We are also to endure patiently as we await the Lord’s return. “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.” (James 5:7-9) Wait on the Lord. He’ll do everything right in His own time.
Run with endurance. Stand up again after a fall. Hang in there and never quit. Keep on keeping on. There are many ways to say it, but they are all express that simple reality that God’s people are never to give up. Times will get difficult occasionally. The mark of the faithful is endurance. Consider, then, Paul’s point:
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Rom 5:1-5)
