i feel like perseverance is something we as people lack these days. we want everything immediately. we want it neatly. we don’t want to have to struggle or fight for it. we want to simply ask and the receive immediately.
it doesn’t quite work like that.
we are called to perseverance.
noun
1. continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness
to persevere means to keep going when it is hard. to keep going back and seeking God when you experience loss. you keep trying even when you fail.
i was listening to Bill Johnson talk about the unusual victory. the victory which circumstances aren’t changed but the person who experiences loss keeps going back to God. when you loose something and turn to God, that is the unusual victory. he based it on Judges 20 where the israelites sought God about going to battle. He told them yes on the 1st day and they lost 22K people. they went back the 2nd day and told them yes again and they lost 18K people. then the 3rd day they go to God and He says, “today I will give them into your hands.”
that is what perseverance is. experiencing disappointment or pain or difficulty and going back to God to ask Him what about today. to trust that the presence of disappointment doesn’t prove a lack of promise nor does disappointment negate promise.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
the thing about perseverance with God is that we will not be put to shame. the suffering and trial and character are building a hope that is solid. Kris Valloton worded it something like this the other day…”if it isn’t good, then it isn’t the end.” arguing that God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. so if it isn’t good…He isn’t finished. until then, we persevere. we don’t grow weary in doing good, trusting and hoping for all that is to come.