Effective Series: Perseverance

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness..." (2 Peter 1:3-6).

I don't know about you, but I'd love to make it to my grave knowing that I put everything I could into everything I tried my hand at—especially with regard to my mission and my relationship with Christ. It's difficult enough, though, to live "properly" and righteously on just an hourly basis. A late night, for example, is all it could take to ruin the momentum you'd otherwise have had going into the next day. I know this to be the case for myself, especially when it comes to maintaining my disciplines.

I've certainly grown in my ability to respect the time I choose to give to God, but I'm nowhere near perfect. Even if I do get up and have the "perfect" morning, I don't know what type of interactions or temptations I'll face each day. Of course, I always know I can get through it, we all can, Paul says as much in the first letter to the Corinthians:

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with each temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13

If you're like me, though, this doesn't automatically make each situation easier to get through, not beyond the first few; sometimes not even in the moment. The temptation to worry about the future is a strong one, and it certainly doesn't help that we're trying to build lives which are contrary to the sinful nature that we're born with.* We're not just changing for the sake of Christ, but we're actively being attacked in the process.** It's in the moments where following Christ feels like an impossible race that this next trait becomes one of great magnitude. If we're to make it to the finish line we need to grow in perseverance. For a break down on that, we go to the book of James.

*Galatians 5:16-25

**1 Peter 5:8-9

The Need for Perseverance (James 1:2-4)

Simply put, perseverance is the ability to withstand difficulty, even when success seems to be a distant possibility. It's the ability to not give up when things get hard on the way to the finish line. It's easy to spot perseverance when we look at our heroes, both of the faith and in life. We could look to the stories of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, and more; the author of Hebrews says that "these all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were exiles on earth."

These were great individuals who were each met with great challenges, many of them at times doubting whether God could indeed do what He'd promised to do, but they all died, and are remembered, as faithful individuals; they didn't get to greet the Messiah's salvation in their lifetimes, but they remained steadfast in the Lord regardless of the trials they met. We live in a different time. Many of you reading this have already known the Lord, even if for a short time. We have the prize.

Still, we face trials and in these times we're told to look upon our circumstances with joy. Why joy? Because, the more we're tested the more we mature, and the more we mature the more complete we are (and the less we lack in Christ). This "completeness" is a great thing to attain, and it's conducive to this effectiveness which we're trying to operate with; but attaining this completion requires a long and difficult process. So how, exactly, can we grow in perseverance?

How to Build Perseverance (James 1:5-12)

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12)

First, it helps to ask God for wisdom. This is an easy thing to forget, but we have total access to a God who has the knowledge of everything at his disposal. Not only does He have access to the knowledge, but He's looking to share it with us. The Word speaks highly of asking for things, but it's important that we ask faithfully. James says that those who ask with doubt are "double-minded" and "unstable in [their] ways." So, start by asking God and being prepared to receive the best He can offer; and remember that this might—probably will—look different than what you'd like.

Another useful thing is to pick up the habits of gratitude and humility. James writes "let the lowly brother boast in his exultation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away." Gratitude and humility are useful to us because they do well to center our minds on the things that matter. For instance, in moments where things seem to be lost, remembering the good that God has done can be exactly what's needed to keep pushing through a trial.

On the flip side, it's easy for us to step into a trap of pride—overestimating the control we ought to exert, or are able to exert, over a situation or the abilities that our gifts and possessions give us; and underestimating the power of God. This pride works to pull our thoughts away from the Lord and onto ourselves; and when we're the focus of a situation, we'll realize very quickly that we aren't as great as we thought we were. A healthy does of humility does wonders for our energy and our ability to push forward properly.

Beware of Self-Deception (James 1:13-18)

On this note of moving forward properly, James continues by warning us not to be led astray in the midst of our trials. Specifically, he warns us not to look upon God as though He were the enemy, seeking the worst for us and placing us in positions meant to tear us down. On the contrary, our own desires are among our greatest opponents. Simple desires like comfort, rest, wealth, peace, and control; while not inherently evil, they can easily lead us down paths of sin and they can create cavities in our foundations. This is especially the case when we seek these things without God.

In my experience, I tend to be the one making things difficult for myself. Some days I find myself recycling old, negative thoughts about myself and my abilities. Others, I'm doing opposite. It feels like there's rarely a solid balance—though I am growing in this. What all these thoughts have in common, though, is a strong focus on myself rather than on the Lord, His Word, and on everything that He's done to get me here. That's the key. Of course each of us will have put in a lot of work by the time we're done. It's always up to us to put our faith into action. At the end of the day, though, the Lord is the one who provides the way forward.

"Do not be deceived, my beloved brother. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." (James 1:16-18)

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Most of us know that time is among the most valuable gifts that we have. Unfortunately, it can also prove to be one of the most daunting. I look ahead at all that I wish to accomplish in my life and I've, at different moments, felt weary because of how long it could take to accomplish all of it. It's daunting to look ahead at all the trials that I'll be faced with, both those imagined and those that I know I can't even dream of. Many of you may be the same in that regard. This is the importance of developing perseverance. It's simply true that each of us will face trials in our journeys. But if we can look to these trials with joy, welcoming the prospect of strengthened, steadfast faith and developing perseverance, then we will surely succeed in our paths to effective ministries and effective lives.

Be blessed.

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Verses to Look Back On:

James 1:2-18*

John 15:18-25 1 Timothy 6:11-14

1 Peter 1:6-9, 15-16

1 Peter 5:8-9