Perseverance.
Just let that sink in. Perseverance.
What do you think of when you read it? It sounds inspiring. Do you get pumped up? It sounds heroic, like there's a good story there. It sounds like triumph. It sounds like finishing the race. It sounds like conquering. It sounds like something I want.
The ironic thing about it, is that there are times when you need it most, and in those moments, you don't want it.
Have you ever faced this? As long as life is good and you're making it alright with no particular challenges or weights dragging you down, then perseverance sounds like a great thing.
It's when you feel stretched, stressed, frustrated, discouraged and tired, that's when perseverance is needed, and that's when you want quite the opposite. Suddenly it's not inspiring. Suddenly it's not heroic. Suddenly you don't like the sounds of perseverance.
At this point, you may be thinking- wow, what is going on with Rebekah to inspire such drastic thinking. But really, do problems have to be big for us to feel this way? Sometimes I think those are the most bothersome problems- those ones that seem small and insignificant, like you should be able to take it on with little effort. Still, it remains- that little issue that keeps bringing you down, that keeps distracting you, that keeps discouraging you.
You can get to the point where a little thing become big and dominant. You have drawn it so close that you can't see past it. In photography, it's a matter of perspective. You begin to focus on a subject and the closer you get, the smaller and blurrier everything else appears.
So, how do you persevere? How do you start to back away from this thing that is dominating your focus and your vision?
I'm so, so thankful that it doesn't have to come from me.
In Romans, Paul talks about perseverance. And it does not sound inspiring when you get started- mainly due to the fact that it starts with suffering. Romans 5:
'And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings,'
Let me just stop you right there and say, whoa. Challenge one: rejoicing in suffering. I'm not going to lie, my first reactions are probably going to be whining to someone (or to God), getting frustrated, or lying on the floor and crying- probably not going to be rejoicing. Am I right? Ok, sorry- continuing on:
'but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;'
Yep, there it is... that glamorous perseverance.
'perseverance, character; and character, hope.'
Now, I've never thought about it like this before (and I've heard this passage quite a few times), but as this builds- suffering to perseverance, perseverance to character, I did not see character developing into hope. But those people that face the world, face their problems and have hope- it's not because they are naive, ignorant, or foolish- actually, it could be that they have been through a process that has developed perseverance and character and finally led to hope.
'And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.'
'You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possible dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.'
While we were still lying on the floor, crying about a problem- big or small, while we were running from perseverance, while we were so focused on something that we couldn't see anything else, Christ chose suffering SO MUCH GREATER. All so that we could be saved. All so that we could develop perseverance, character and HOPE.
That's a perspective changer. Even for someone who has known it, grown up with the truth of this Scripture, the reality of life is that we walk through challenges, we continue to have opportunities to grow, and we continue to have moments where we falter and even fail.
Do I know what it feels like to have God pour his love into my heart by the Holy Spirit? Do I know a hope that does not disappoint?
Yes, I do.
Do you?
