Endurance

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” Philippians 3:20

I recently heard a very meaningful message by Pastor Chris Sammons. The message was entitled, “Three Keys to Spiritual Endurance.” Here are the three points of the message that might be helpful to someone else:

1. In spite of our imperfections, press on! Don’t let imperfections keep you from pressing on!
2. In spite of our past, press on! Looking back only slows us down. When we press on, we learn from our mistakes, but are not controlled by them. We put them behind us. Also, don’t rest on your past accomplishments. Don’t be satisfied with yesterday’s manna only to starve to death now.
3. In light of our future crown, press on! C.S. Lewis quote, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

End of Pastor’s message.

Just a couple of my own thoughts as I’m writing this in the wee hours of the morning:

Sometimes life gets tough. We grow tired. Consequently, our physical and spiritual endurance often suffers. Maybe this has happened at some point in your walk with the Lord. Maybe it’s been short term. Maybe longer. We are all still under construction, spiritually speaking. God continues to teach us and bring us along. I sure am thankful for that!

My prayer is that we would continue to run our race with endurance, leaving a legacy of faith for all who come behind us. May others find us faithful in leaving for them, the lighted path to His never-ending love. May we continue to share His Word at home and around the world with those who don’t yet know Him.

Finally, may we also be reminded that our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace will never, ever leave us to run our race alone. That’s the best part and from where I sit, awfully Good News!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, how wonderful are Your works! We praise You for being ever-present in our lives, giving us the spiritual endurance to go forward in this ever-changing world. Help us to run our race not only with endurance, but with humility and compassion, as we strive to bring others along with us on this journey Never let us let go of the truth that You are all we will ever need. You are our strength and You are our Hope. Thank You for loving us that much. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.