Hebrews 12.1-2
“Let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The theme of perseverance is found throughout the Bible. God has designed a world where steady, consistent, focused action produces fruit. It’s a discipline: There is great power in the cumulative impact of daily action repeated over time. There are no shortcuts to anything of significance. Examine any significant achievement in human history, and you will find people, teams, and organizations who did what was necessary, when it was necessary, for as long as necessary. They endured and overcame adversity along the way.
This is the nature of the Christian faith. This is the great journey we are on. This is the race we are called to run. The point is that responding to the call of God requires perseverance. We follow him with tenacious persistence no matter the circumstance or situations that confront us. When the Christian faith is rightly lived, it is tenaciously persistent. It is relentless.
It is no surprise that the evil one is “the god of giving up.” Satan is the source of the quitting voice. Do not listen to him. Listen to the voice of the God who loves you and calls you to himself. Yes, sometimes it is tedious. Sometimes it is a grind. Sometimes it is painful. But the very nature of faith-driven perseverance is that it endures and persists throughout the journey. It actually thrives and gets better as the race goes on.
The Greek word that scripture uses for “perseverance” is hupomone. It means “to bear up under.” The idea is this: Keep going. No matter how hard it gets — no matter the pain or difficulty or darkness — don’t quit. Stay the course. Never give up. Trust God and run the race. Unfortunately, many people today give up too easily. When it gets uncomfortable or difficult or confusing, people first tend to compromise, and then they quit. They give in to mediocrity and give up to defeat. This is not the way of the kingdom of God.
The critical factor is faith. The reason why deeply committed Christians are tenaciously persistent? The reason they are relentless? The reason they never give up? It is because they believe. They trust God. They know who God is, and they have responded to his call on their life. They have accepted the mission that God has assigned to them: to live and work in the midst of a fallen and broken world, and do so in a way that reflects the reality of the presence and power of Jesus.
“The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness” (Proverbs 15.9). Note that God calls us not to perseverance in general, but to the relentless pursuit of what is right. In the next chapter of Galatians, Paul will give this admonition: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
Life can be hard. Things can weigh us down. Sometimes we get tired and our energy fades. But don’t let the frustrations on the outside diminish the fire on the inside. When your energy fades, reignite the flame. Rekindle the fire. Remember who you are in Christ. This is why Paul prays in Ephesians 1.9 that we would understand “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might” (Ephesians 1:19).
Ironically, we discover and release God’s strength in our lives when we acknowledge our own weakness. Paul learned this lesson when he prayed and asked the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh. Here is the Lord’s response to Paul’s prayer: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Trust God, align your personal and professional goals with his word, and pursue those goals with relentless persistence. When adversity strikes, which it will, run the race and keep going. No matter how hard it gets — no matter the difficulty or darkness or pain — don’t quit. Stay the course. Run the face with perseverance. Endure!
“For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)
