Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Hebrews 12:1  (NIV)

God has a special purpose for each one of our lives. He will place opportunities (and sometimes challenges) in our path to lead us to where He wants us to go. We need to pray for His direction and wait with expectant hope.

Like most worthy things, we will need to remain steadfast to fulfill our dreams of a better life or a specific outcome. This will require diligence and PERSEVERANCE.

Webster defines perseverance as… : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition .

The opposite of perseverance is reasoning, excuse-making  and future promises.

“It won’t hurt to skip one day.” “This was a killer day at the office!” “ I will double my efforts tomorrow.”

Gritting our teeth to stand up against an uncomfortable thing (person?) will leave us feeling stronger! “I didn’t want to do it…but now I feel victorious that I didn’t let it get the better of me.”

I was very lucky to learn about perseverance in my 20s as a distance runner. I learned how to hang on when it would be much easier to quit. I discovered the triumph of overcoming being uncomfortable for an extended period of time.

See my past blog https://mvarga.com/life-inspiration/uncomfortable/   Are we willing to step out and act or think in a way that’s different from how we’ve always done things?

It’s not only in athletic pursuits, but in every area of our lives that we need to develop determination and perseverance and perhaps embrace a new way of looking at life.

Think of our marriages, our careers, our social lives, our children….What areas do we need to seek God to know how to persevere through the tough times? What exactly is He expecting us to do?

God never promised us a life free of difficulties. However, He does promise to stay right beside us to show us the way to go through any obstacle we face. With Him by our side, we can learn how to make lemonade out of our lemons.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12  (NIV)

The Lord has promised all of us the rewards of His kingdom if we would just trust in His directives for our lives. Anticipate His guidance through both His word and the circumstances that present themselves in our lives.

God wants us to be the best person we can be…even with all the challenges we are facing. It’s those very challenges that prompt us to grow and redefine what is truly important in our lives. These adversities, much as we don’t like or desire them in our lives…can be the stepping stones to helping others with their own struggles.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:10  (NIV)

No matter what we have to endure…knowing that our reactions and behavior can inspire and be a role model for others…will ultimately have us seeing our challenges not as something being inflicted on us, but as a blessing to help others in their afflictions.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:4  (NIV)

Dear Lord,

 Please show us how to push on through the uncomfortable things we need to endure in life to follow Your will for us. More importantly, give us the wisdom to discern what is Your will…and not just what we want to see happen.

Help us to magnify You in all of our thoughts and actions.

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