What Does It Take to Endure ?

Endurance. Now that is one word you may not hear very often in our "modern" Christian circles. We hear a lot about winning and shining and all that's good but where are the messages on enduring the hard times of life ? How do we deal with the things that happen to us that seem so unfair especially when we've served God for years ?

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ - 2 Timothy 2:3

This powerful piece of Scripture was written by the Apostle Paul...from jail !  If you read on you find that Paul was in jail for no other offence than preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. And yet he, writing from jail, was encouraging his spiritual son Timothy to endure hardship as part of his devotion to Jesus Christ.How many of us would be able to encourage another person from our own place of difficulty and suffering today ?



A while ago I came to a powerful realization that has released me from swimming in the pool of pity and worry : if I call myself a die-hard follower of Jesus Christ, I should expect hard times. There is just no way around encountering those hard times. However, it is possible for me to encounter those hard times and come out unscathed. How is that ? The power of God is available to me during those seasons of life and He is able to help me endure. And in fact sometimes when I look back, I marvel at how I survived certain lean seasons of my life !

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] - John 16:33 (AMP)

Did you read that ? Jesus said that in this world we will have tribulations, trials, distress and frustrations ! Well that is not comforting at all, is it ? But it's not like God to leave us hanging, you know and so He adds that despite all that, we should be of "good cheer". Here are 3 things I gather from the second part of John 16:33.

1. When hard times happen, instead of telling every single person you meet of how "hard" your life is just to garner sympathy and pity, be so confident and certain in your faith in God that people will wonder if in fact you are really going through a hard time. (This has actually happened to me where people think I must have no problems when I am in fact in deep straits).
2. It is a choice to be of "good cheer". You can choose to allow the Holy Spirit to fill you up with joy or not. It is not easy, but He would not give us that option if it was not possible.
3. Jesus Christ did not just come to die on the cross for our sins. One of the things His death and resurrection did for us was to deprive the world's pressures the power to harm us. Jesus conquered your problem before it ever became a problem ! And we have the right as believers in Jesus Christ to rest in that promise.

In John 16:33, Jesus gave us exactly what we need to endure the hard times of this life. Will you meditate on this Word today and allow it to become a mainstay especially in your season of hardship ? 

God bless you today and always !

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