Sometimes, it can feel like being a christian comes with more suffering than for those who aren’t. I have never once thought that being a christian means experiencing no suffering for myself or others alike. At some point I have thought it meant less suffering but at times it feels like the complete opposite. This year I struggled a lot to simply just stay afloat, my internal world could not keep up with my external world. And no this isn’t where I say “but nevertheless God has been faithful.” Although that’s true, coming to the end of the year I can now see how much endurance has been a major theme for me this year.
When the tests, trials and tribulations come, I always find it easier to question my faith. Well more like questioning the substance of my own faith. I think those trying times for me reveal just how much substance my faith actually holds and whether or not my faith carries any weight. I have found this to be a good thing for me and have chosen to embrace it more. I want to be able to go through life knowing that the storms that I face may try to drown me but they can’t because my faith in Christ carries a weight that won’t allow me to drown.
I believe that one of the most beautiful things that might not at all seem beautiful is the idea of endurance. I have seen that it’s a recurring thing in the life of every christian and I have also found it to be necessary. I know that endurance often has a negative connotation but it shouldn’t, at least not for the christian. Faith and Endurance actually go hand in hand.
“Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.” James 1:3-4 AMP
This scripture lets us know that endurance helps in the development of our faith, in order for us to grow we must have endurance. Being perfected in Christ involves us having to endure some hard things and some hard seasons. Endurance is for our own good, it produces something in us unlike any other. Therefore we shouldn’t try to rush ourselves out of the seasons that God is calling for us to endure, instead we ought to surrender.
I see endurance as me saying “God, I’m not enjoying this race at the moment, but somehow I’m still in it, so I’ll just keep on running.” I am not saying endurance is enjoyable, I am saying that it’s a part of our walk with Christ. It’s not something we can avoid or should even try to. There’s beauty in enduring and if you are in that season currently or you find yourself there, remember that there’s a lot of beautiful things that come with enduring.
Here’s to letting endurance have its perfect result in our lives.