We find many verses in the Bible about perseverance, but what does being perseverant really mean? I think perseverance actually means to carry on what we are doing or what we believe in despite the struggles or obstacles we might be facing.
To persevere in something, we need patience but also faith and trust in God, especially when things are not going the way we want them to be. I have recently stumbled upon Job’s word which summarises what perseverance is all about “Though he slays me, yet I will trust Him” – Job 13:15. Despite Job losing most of his family members and all his wealth and his health, he decided to persevere in trusting in God.
There are many instances where we can feel we want to give up. For example, you might have tried hard to be nice to someone who hasn’t been nice to you. I think our natural reaction would be to be mean back to that person or to show a cold shoulder. However, I really don’t think it’s God’s will for us to behave that way.
Jesus is LOVE and wants us to spread this love to others, even those who don’t show it to us. An interesting verse in the Bible reminds us that we Christians would not be doing anything exceptional by being kind to ‘nice’ people only, as most people would do this;
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.”
– Luke 6:32-33
This may seem challenging but with prayer and holding on to God’s word, we can persevere in being nice to people who are not so kind.
Jesus has shown us the ultimate example of perseverance. He persevered even through being nailed to the cross so that through His death, we can be saved and can, one day, spend eternity with God! Jesus did not give up on us. He did not have it easy on this earth but he was determined to save us and persevered until the end.
May those real-life examples encourage us to persevere today! You’ve totally got this.
