Levels of Endurance
God calls us to endure. And He tells us about the rewards He gives us for endurance.
There are instructions about how to endure. See, for example, How to Get Through It, and Look Beyond.
I just realized today, though, that there are different levels of endurance. We can be better or worse at enduring what God gives us.
Just like learning to please God, and learning to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, we need to learn how to endure.
There are at least three stages:
Resignation
Sometimes we might just grit our teeth and passively wait it out.
We continue to believe, read the Bible, and pray. But our circumstances are in control.
Pressing On
We may be aware that God is with us in our situation, and look for opportunities He gives us to grow and testify about His loving purposes.
We’re not passive, but “fight the good fight.” We press on.
Joyfully Enduring
There is a third level.
Paul joyfully endured his trials.
We exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations … (Romans 5:2–3)
Where are we?
I confess I am generally in the “Pressing On” stage, but too often just resigned. I’ve known the verses about considering trials with joy, but I’ve thought of trials as short term. “Endurance” implies long term and I’d never linked “Joy” to “Endurance.”
Well, I’m growing.
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Father, thank You for showing me I need to learn to be joyful in endurance. Help me give You thanks in everything. Help me honor You with my thoughts, words, and deeds.
