Patient Endurance
How would you describe or rate your endurance?
Verse of the Day
“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”
Today’s Devotional
I have never needed endurance to finish a good meal of Mexican food. Nor have I needed perseverance to finish a good book. I don’t need endurance on a day when I am resting.
So, when does one need to have endurance? When is perseverance something that is needed?
WHEN IT IS HARD. OR WHEN WE ARE WAITING. We don’t need patience or endurance to do easy, fun, or pleasurable things. But there are a lot of actions necessary in a faithful Christian life that require endurance.
Like praying for your children. Parenting those children. Learning to submit to God’s will every day. Trying to be an example of Jesus. Not letting other people get under your skin. Faithfully reading your Bible and being convicted by the Word of God. Changing your thinking. Learning to have faith in God instead of fear of the unknown. Being kind, loving, generous, and merciful in your relationships. And…waiting for God.
All of those things require endurance. And, dare I say…practice.
We need to have endurance to wait for answers from God, or to wait for Him to move in a certain area. We need to be actively seeking to obey in other areas as we wait for answers (or revelation). So what does this mean or even look like?
The dictionary defines perseverance (a synonym for endurance) as: “The steady persistence in a course of action or purpose, especially in the face of difficulties and obstacles.” That sounds very similar to the definition of endurance we read a few days ago. We must keep on taking the next right action even when there are reasons not to, even when we don’t want to, even when we are discouraged, even when other things seem more important. And according to this verse, we need endurance to do God’s will. Which makes endurance seem pretty important.
I forget sometimes that the bondage of self – also known as selfishness, pride, ego, stubbornness, inflexibility, defiance, self-pity, anger, rebellion – keeps me from doing God’s will for each day. But if I’m being selfish, then I’m focused on what I want and not what God wants. So, God, please relieve me of the bondage of self. Being self-focused will make having endurance very difficult.
I also think that as many times as God tells us in his Word that we must “press on”, he knew that this life would be hard. But he knows the reward if we don’t give up. One commentary put it this way: “Faithfulness during the time when the promise seems unfulfilled is the measure of your obedience and spiritual maturity.” We must be faithful. And when it is hard, or when we need God’s help to endure, we must ask for help. I have this picture in my head of God just waiting for me to recognize how much I need his help to have endurance in hard times. Because I think he really just wants me to know how much I need him, and how gracious he is to be there when I call.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How would you rate or measure your endurance? Your obedience? Your spiritual maturity?
In what areas of your life do you need endurance?
How clear are you about what God’s will is for you today?
Where do you need God’s help today?
Where do you see the bondage of self getting in the way?
Ask God to help you to have endurance in an area where you are waiting.