ENDURANCE
Endurance: Running the Race
I have always loved to run! I have done it on and off my whole life. I love to challenge myself to reach a goal. What I know about running is that in order to go longer distances you have to push past the pain. And as you push past the first pain, you get a second wind, and then it is easier for a while and then there will come another spot of difficulty, and another opportunity to push through it. It is in the putting my running to the test, that I increase my endurance.
Our walk with the Lord is easy to compare with a race. It is something we enter and want to finish and along the way there are challenges and many things that test our faith. Running the race- whether our Christian faith or a marathon or some other type of race, the word endurance is key.
In James 1:2-4 it says, “Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
In this verse the word “consider” means to choose: choose joy!
I agree it is difficult to have joy when your legs and lungs are burning; when you are in the middle of the test. But if we push through the pain soon it will become easy again and we will have increased our endurance. The same is true with our Christian walk. We go through a test, which is usually painful, and then there is a rest period and then the cycle begins again.The scripture says, When our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow. Endurance means duration, or our ability to make it to the end. So consider it joy, because now you are going to be stronger. God is increasing your endurance so that you will be able to make it until the end.
Hebrews 12:2-4 “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.[a] Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;[c] then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”
If we were in Jesus shoes enduring the pain of the cross would we realize God has something more for us? He does! When we endure he is making us stronger. He knows what we will need in the future. He knows what we will face and he is increasing our endurance so that we will complete the race.
Our endurance is increased by pain. As we train to run longer distances, we start at a mile and do that for a while, but after a while that gets easy and if we stop where it is easy we never reach our goals. If we push past the pain, we get a second wind and we complete the race.
So when your endurance is tested:
1) Consider – Make a choice for joy
2) It as an opportunity for growth
3) In the end you will have greater endurance
“So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing”
When We complete the race, we win the prize
Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
2Tim 4:7 I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
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