A Word, Please

Life is hard.

*understatement of the millennium*

I’m sure you know this all too well. Yes, there are good parts to it, of course. But for some, it can be quite difficult, challenging, and depressing.

Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” Maybe this isn’t very reassuring. So I’m supposed to struggle, be anxious, and have a life wracked with trauma?

No. The verse goes on to say, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

It’s not easy. 

We will have struggles as we try to live lives that glorify the Lord. That’s undeniable. The worthiest causes are never the easiest, otherwise everyone would participate. We do what we do for the greater good – the real greater good. The good of bringing as many people as we can to the Lord.

The “drawback” to this is that we don’t get the earthly lives others have. We look around us and see “wicked” people winning, succeeding, and prospering. It makes us want what they want. It sucks us into comparison.

All too frequently I find myself tempted to just give up on something. Like what’s the point? The devil tells me that I can never succeed at anything and that I’ll never make a difference in any way. He’s wrong.

How do we keep going?

Today I’d like to give you one of my best “tips” on how to keep going no matter what. That tip is one word.

One word that, no matter what you’re facing, can remind you to keep doing what you’re doing. A word that can keep pushing you to the endgame we so long for.

It’s not easy to do this, but in the end, when you do finally succeed, it will be so worth it.

Persevere.

Defined by the dictionary as persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success, this one word can remind us to keep going when things seem impossible.

Is this some foolproof magic formula? Absolutely not. Does it physically make life any easier? No. Except that we’ve seen the results of perseverance all around us. People who push themselves to the max for the ultimate reward.

We know, deep down, that whatever it is we’re striving towards, if we give it our all, we can succeed. If we persevere. So please, I hope you know that you’re not alone. You’re not doing this by yourself. There are people who care. The only way for you to lose is to give up – so don’t.

We have Jesus on our side.

His story is arguably the greatest example of perseverance. He could’ve relented at any point and said “Father, I’m not willing to die.” But He didn’t.

We know things are hard, and will get harder. But we have the reassurance that in the end, we know what will happen. Jesus will win. And until that day comes, we will endure. We’ll continue to do everything we can to spread Jesus’ love to the world.

So whether it’s in faith, work, a hobby, writing, or any other category, I want you to know that if you trust Jesus and persevere, good things will come your way. Maybe it won’t always be in this life – but I guarantee you it’ll happen in the life to come. Because Jesus cares about you, and as a result, everything that you care about.

Please don’t give up, for a great reward awaits you in Heaven. Persevere, and you will see the fruits of your labour.

As Hebrews 12:1b-2 (NIV) says, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

The people who win in the end are those who try the longest.