I’m sitting at my son’s football practice watching another kid on his team, and marveling at his perseverance. He is slow. He runs a lap behind everyone else. He barely lifts his feet to run. But he doesn’t quit. He puts one foot in front of the other, and keeps going.
This kid amazes me, as he doesn’t let being the last one get him down, but just keeps going. I wonder what he tells himself as he runs. I feel like I need to ask because I probably need the same pep-talk sometimes.
Perseverance is hard. I want to quit and just sit down. Especially when I’m the slowest, last, or feel most left out. Sometimes it feels like everyone else gets the break, gets the credit, gets picked for something important. Or everyone else gets the relationship they want, the peaceful circumstance, or the honor of being the first or the best.
Even as I write this, I’m struggling with a recent disappointment of discovering a grant for the ministry went to someone else, and will not be helpful in supporting Broken & Hopeful this year. The hard stuff can all add up sometimes, and we feel like we might as well quit.
So, how do we persevere? Even when hope seems gone and we are just trudging along behind everyone else, barely lifting our feet? What follows is what God led me to over this weekend of battling my own disappointment and frustration.
First, we can allow ourselves to sit in the emotion of the discouragement sometimes. If you are weary, Jesus says to come to Him—not buck up and get stronger. It’s ok to acknowledge your weakness, your lack and your impatience. He knows already, and is willing to refresh you as your oasis. (Matthew 11:28-29)
Second, recognize that times of trouble and disappointment are important for developing endurance, proven character and hope in us. God never promised that things would be easy and a nice flat road. In Romans 5:3-5, He does tell us that the circumstance brings what we need IN it and not BEFORE it. We think we need preparation before the hard thing, but I believe that He often brings what we need in the middle. Also, hope is not a disappointing fantasy—we are not enduring for nothing. He brings us through and back to hope.
Third, God is always faithful, not because we persevere but whether or not we do. His faithfulness is not dependent on our strength to persist. We can ask for what we need, including perseverance in hard things. He may show up in a way we didn’t expect, so we can’t go into believing He has forgotten us and won’t come through. He will be faithful, but maybe not the way we thought He would be.
Fourth, recognize that discouragement is not from God, but rather He is the God of endless comfort. He is always available to bring tender mercy and endless comfort, and will never fail in doing so. God doesn’t use discouragement to get us to act “right” but rather the enemy uses discouragement to derail and stagnate us. Turn to Him for comfort and stop agreeing with the discouragement. (2 Corinthians 1:3)
Fifth, even when you don’t feel like it, worshipping and praising God in the middle of the hard thing goes a long way. Acknowledge who He is, thank Him for His gift of relationship with you and so many others gifts, turn the focus from the negative or disappointment and look to Him. It seems counterintuitive to praise when you don’t feel grateful, but it changes your focus and lifts your spirit as you focus on Jesus. (James 5:13)
Sixth, we don’t persevere on our own just by gritting our teeth. Perseverance is another gift God gives us in Christ’s Life within us. You can ask Him for what you need to be faithful and keep taking one step after another, even when you feel behind, like a failure, like you will never get there. God is in charge of the outcome.
Finally, rest for a minute and take the next step. For me this weekend, that was laundry. And then figuring out my schedule of counseling for the week. We are just doing the next thing, and allowing Christ’s strength to propel and empower us forward.
Perseverance comes through times of trouble as we trust Jesus to be what we need through it, saying no to discouragement and disappointment and moving into focus on His amazing love and endless comfort that’s with us all the time. And then take the next step, watching His faithfulness show up in ways you never expected.
But that’s not all! Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance. And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope. And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Romans 5:3-5