The Grace to Endure

Right now I am out of shape. I may not really look like it, but I can tell every time I try to exercise or be active that my body is weaker than I’d like and lacks the endurance I once had. I physically lack the stamina to persevere through long periods of physical exertion and with the marathon of labor right around the corner, I know that I need to start working on this.

But you see, lately, I have been focused on my spiritual endurance. The Holy Spirit has been my personal trainer. He has been giving me weights and spiritual exercises (in the form of trials and storms) that are harder than I would like and quite frankly, leave me feeling weak and shaky.

James 1:2-4 says “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”

I wish God was ok with my remaining spiritually weak, out of shape, and lacking in endurance. But all too often, he blesses my life with trials and suffering as a means of lovingly guiding me into spiritual endurance so that I can be made into a woman who is mature, complete, and lacking nothing.

Today, if you are feeling like the spiritual workout, the trial or storm, is too intense, and your spiritual legs feel shaky like jello, remember that in due time if you do not give up, you will notice the prize of muscles, of strength, and of greater endurance.

Suffering is never for nothing.

The Bible says, “For those whom the LORD loves he disciplines” (Hebrews 12:6a). And in verse 7 it says, “It is for discipline that you endure.” Discipline is another word for training and equipping.

In other words, we have the grace to endure great trials and tragedies because we know with confidence that God himself is using this to train and equip us with greater spiritual maturity and capabilities.

Take courage, dear heart, God is not abandoning you in this season nor is he neglectful of your sorrows and pain. He sees you and is actively leading you through this life storm into the victory of spiritual perfection.

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