Endurance, Part 2

I wish to continue with the subject of endurance. Let’s recall what it means to endure.

Endure – To last; to suffer continuously. To undergo, bear, sustain (continuous pain, opposition, hardship, or annoyance); properly, to undergo without succumbing or giving way.

Last week we saw that we must endure hardness, if we are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Now enduring hardness is no fun. If it were, we would not be enduring hardness. The fact that we are enduring hardness suggests that the hardness is continuous; it is not letting up as quickly as we might wish. Now this can certainly be wearisome and leave us feeling like we are getting nowhere, because the situation just won’t let up. But, interestingly enough, Scripture has some wonderful things to say about those who endure, those who just keep hanging in there in spite of the difficulty.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Observe that the verse says “blessed is the man.” That little verb is, is in the present tense. If you are enduring a difficulty that is constantly pounding you, you are, right now, a blessed man. It should greatly help you to endure, if you consider that you are blessed for doing so. Your endurance reveals the quality and strength of your character as a Christian. And God assures you - you who endure temptation - that in the end, a crown of life awaits you. Now how is that for an incentive to endure? You see, those who endure gain something. It is not simply an effort in futility. So when you are going through something that is hard and you keep holding fast your faith in God without giving up, just say to yourself, “I am blessed.” Don’t whine and complain, “I am miserable.” Rather affirm, “I am blessed,” because God says you are. And then think about the crown that awaits you.

Then consider this verse:

James 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

The Greek word that is rendered happy in this verse is related to the word blessed that we saw above in James 1:12. To be happy is to be blessed. Please notice that the happy people are the ones who endure and not always the ones who escape! Now we consider “them happy which endure.” And, if you think about it, we do just this. Do you know people who have endured great difficulty and have come through it with their faith intact and even stronger as a result? Don’t you admire such people and aspire to be like them? If you do, then you are in fact counting “them happy (blessed) which endure.” Happiness does not come from escaping adversities. It comes from growing through adversities. A happy person is one who can look back on a difficult situation and realize he is the better for having gone through it. Such people are indeed overcomers. They are not defeated by the tragedies of life. They are made stronger by them.

In writing about endurance, James mentions the patience of Job. James connects endurance with patience. Now you know what comes next, right? It is the definition of patience.

Patience - The suffering or enduring (of pain, trouble, or evil) with calmness and composure; the quality or capacity of so suffering or enduring. The calm abiding of the issue of time, processes, etc.; quiet and self-possessed waiting for something; ‘the quality of expecting long without rage or discontent.’

Patience is enduring and doing so with calmness and composure, without rage or discontent. It is enduring without losing it. It is keeping the faith and continuing to hope for what God has promised when you feel like giving up. The endurance I am writing about is not simply bare grit, just bearing hardship with no reason or purpose, or bearing hardship just to prove you can take it. It is bearing hardship because God calls upon you to bear it and promises blessing to you for doing so. It is endurance with purpose and with a goal in sight that you are waiting to attain. God is looking for more than just your capacity to endure. He is looking to see how you endure. It is patient endurance that pleases God. This was the kind of endurance demonstrated by the church of the Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

These words expressed the esteem that Paul, Silvanus, Timotheus, and the churches of God had for the church at Thessalonica. This church endured persecutions and tribulations with patience and faith. If you are enduring a hardship, something that is continuously bombarding you, and yet you are still holding fast your faith and hope in Christ without giving up, then this is a commendable accomplishment. This is an encouragement to others, yea, it is an occasion for others to glory in you. By so enduring you are giving others a boost. Until next time and even unto the end, hang in there and keep the faith. “Behold, we count them happy which endure.”

Endurance, Part 1

I am thinking today of the subject of endurance. Let’s begin by considering what it means to endure.

Endure – To last; to suffer continuously. To undergo, bear, sustain (continuous pain, opposition, hardship, or annoyance); properly, to undergo without succumbing or giving way.

Endurance is that ability to keep it together in the face of continued hardship, of whatever kind. Put in the context of one’s Christian experience, endurance is being able to be hammered by opposition day after day and yet still hold to one’s faith and maintain one’s obedience to God. It is trusting God even when everything seems to suggest that it is useless to do so.

The capacity to endure is necessary if we are going to be good soldiers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Good soldiers do not give up under pressure. They endure hardness. It is interesting to notice the definition of hardness.

Hardness- The quality or condition of being hard; difficulty of penetration, solution, apprehension, performance, endurance; inflexibility, rigidity, stiffness, harshness; rigour, severity, cruelty; obduracy, obstinacy, hardiness, etc.

Now we can all think of a lot of things we have dealt with that can be described by the words in that definition. It may be a problem that is difficult to understand or that defies a solution; or it may be a tough situation that just will not let up, that has no give in it; or it may be a severe illness; or it may be a stubborn child; or it may be a cruel regime under which we live. Anything we deal with that we describe as hard qualifies as hardness. If we are good soldiers of Christ, we will endure it and not give up because of it. Being a good soldier does not require that we dissolve the hardness or make it go away. Rather, being a good soldier requires that we endure the hardness.

I recall facing a situation in my ministry several years ago that was very difficult to get a handle on and it just would not go away. It had to be dealt with. At times the pressure was so great that I entertained the thought of just giving up my ministry. But I hung in there. Everything did not go as smoothly as I would have liked. It was messy at times. The direction was not always as clear as I wished. But the good Lord gave me just enough to get me through it. Almighty God saved my ministry and the church. One day while reflecting on what had happened, the Lord comforted me with the verse cited above. Even though the problem had been hard to bear, difficult to understand, and tough to solve, I had endured. I came out on the other side still holding my faith and pursuing the ministry that I have received of the Lord Jesus. So at least it could be said that I had endured and, therefore, had been a good soldier. This realization brought me profound peace.

As I deal with this subject, the main thing I want my readers to grasp is this: just enduring hardness is in itself a commendable accomplishment! Now I see this subject is growing into more. So you will have to endure until our next meditation.

Not Knowing

For this week’s meditation I direct your attention to Acts 20:22-24:

Acts 20:22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

As our beloved apostle Paul made his way to Jerusalem, he did so not knowing the things that would happen to him there. He knew that bonds and afflictions awaited him, but as to when, how, or how much those bonds and afflictions would be, he knew not. He did not let it bother him that he knew there would be some tough times ahead. Neither was he bothered by the fact that he did not know the details of the time, manner, and extent of these afflictions that would befall him. As he said: “None of these things move me.” Neither was he moved by the possibility that those afflictions could mean his death, for he did not count his life dear unto himself. People who do not count their life in this world dear to themselves don’t worry about things like people who do set so much on this life. People like Paul know that this life is just a transit to something better. They do not view this as the only life they will ever have. The thing that most concerned Paul was finishing his course with joy and the ministry that he received of the Lord Jesus. Paul was more concerned about doing God’s work than he was with what was going to happen to him. Whenever he came to the end of his life, he wanted to be able to look back and know that he had done all that the Lord had given him to do. And herein Paul set a wonderful example for us.

Like Paul, we know that “afflictions abide us.” The following verses assure us of this.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Acts 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

But as for when, how, and how much these tribulations shall be, we do not know. We are in the same predicament as Paul and the Scriptures tell us as much.

Proverbs 27:1 ¶Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.

This much you can know: there are troublesome times ahead of us. My pastor friend Dr. Larry Lilly wrote the following in his daily letter of 29 September 2008:

The sum total of courageous living has to do with getting over past storms, living through current ones and continuing on in the knowledge that more storms will come. God enters this panorama of life in the storm, walks on the waters of the storms as it were, and we learn that He is there. Walking with the Lord teaches us to trust in the darkest hour, somehow singing though the tears that scald our cheeks.

You do not know the time, the manner, or the extent of your future troubles, but you know they are coming. Does that bother you? If so, why? Are the things that happen to you or may happen to you the things that concern you most? Or are you more concerned about fulfilling the will of God?

So the advice I would pass on to you from this lesson is to stay the course of keeping the commandments of God, which are the will of God for you. Let that be your chief focus as opposed to what may happen in the future. The word of God tells you that you do not know what shall be on the morrow. And the word of God does not instruct you to try to find out. If you hear a voice or see a vision of things coming in the future, rebuke it. Your Bible says you do not know. I would rather have Scriptural ignorance of the future than occult insights into it. You do not need to know the future to know God’s will. All you need to know is that tough times are ahead and that God will see you through them. Your chief concern should be to learn the commandments of God written in your Bible and do them. Like Paul, you can go forth not knowing what shall befall you. It is sufficient that you know the Lord Who knows and Who has promised to be with you as you do His work, which should ever be your chief concern.