Updated Edition 8/29/2014
We must have endurance if we want to reach any type of goal. When I am getting my garden ready, I can’t just throw some seeds outside on top of the ground and hope that I will have an awesome garden. No, I have to till the ground first, make rows, then plant the seeds, and after that is done, there is watering, weeding, and waiting for growth. Work and endurance, the desire to keep going even when we are tired and frustrated, have to go together to create good work.
I know that it is hard to keep going when it just doesn’t seem like there is an end in sight, but I am learning that sometimes God wants to see us persevere. I do understand the fact that when one works hard for something, they take better care of it. Therefore, I am learning that even though He can make everything better in a blink of an eye, He chooses not to, so that we have a better appreciation for Him and our accomplishments. This will lead us to be better stewards of our blessings.
I have a cute sign that someone got me that states, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storms to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” This just reminds me of the many scriptures that tell us to be joyful during trials and to give thanks during all circumstances. These are not easy things to do, but they definitely set us apart from the rest of the world when we practice what the Scriptures teach us. When we endure with thankfulness, it makes whatever we are going through lose its negative power over us. It helps us to find peace in the storm. It also builds character within us.
During those moments of weakness when you don’t know whether or not you can take another step, remember the reward on the other side will be worth all the time spent moving forward. The pains “of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us” (Romans 8:18). The hardest thing is not to allow ourselves to give up and lose hope. Hold fast to the Truth, “…suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Rom 5:3-4). Also, “…for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose,” (Romans 8:28). So, put your trust in Him, be willing to endure, and keep running the race of faith because what we go through now is refining us and creating in us a great work that brings glory to God.